Alessandro Bruno

In Video: Capture of Saif Gaddafi, TV Interview

The North Africa Journal | The son of Muamar Gaddafi was captured in the south of Libya. The North Africa Journal's take on the news.
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The Failed State of Yemen: Poverty, Security, Regional Concerns & Outlook

Yemen’s instability is a risk for the whole Middle East region. Both western and regional powers have been too focused on Yemen’s perceived security threats, focusing on military solutions only. The problems are more complex and rooted in Yemen’s failure to develop institutions, weakening the State. This has resulted in instability and factionalism....
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South Sudanese Independence and its Regional Implications

The prospect of renewed tensions, and possibly war, between North and South Sudan remains high. Even while the split between South and North has been generally peaceful, the emergence of a new state in east-central Africa will carry important implications and risks for the region and beyond, as well as the Sudanese government will manage the persisting tensions in the Darfur region. ...
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Libya: No Easy Options Even after Muamar Ghaddafi is Gone

[The North Africa Journal | Alessandro Bruno and Arezki Daoud] During his 41 years in power, Mu’ammar al-Qadhafi has built an idiosyncratic system of governance that is so unique that in the face of an unprecedented crisis, it could only collapse. There is no continuity built into the system. Qadhafi holds no official position or title; he has simply been the Brother Leader of the Revolution, or the Guide; he has never been the president, as some analysts have erroneously called him. However, while western governments (and surely many Libyans) are bewildered by the Libyan system, in the same way one would be curious about a train wreck, Qadhafi has proven on several occasions that he is no ordinary fool. ...
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End of the Road for Mubarak: Update

[The North Africa Journal - By Alessandro Bruno and Arezki Daoud] The Egyptian people are furious and no longer afraid of teargas and bullets. For 30 years, they have endured a ruthless dictatorship that ruled through a combination of oppression and occasional false promise of reform and liberalization. Today, encouraged, by the success of a popular uprising in Tunisia, the Egyptian people have started a sixth consecutive day of protest, refusing to back down despite a massive show of force by the police and security forces...
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Al-Qaeda and Yemen Making the Arabian Peninsula a More Dangerous Neighborhood

An attempt to deliver explosives, disguised by a copier toner cartridge, by aircraft - for the purposes of targeting the addressees (two synagogues in the Chicago area) or to cause a mid-air explosion - recalls a similar episode last Christmas. Late 2009, a young Nigerian man, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab intended to down Delta Airlines flight 253 flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. The episodes have once again placed Yemen and the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) on the front pages of newspapers around the world. While the attempts have failed given the fast reaction of passengers and the crew in the Christmas plot, and a thorough check by customs officials at London Heathrow is the ‘toner’ bomb case, the impact has been important in that visibility of AQAP has increased considerably as a result. Although no one was harmed, Al-Qaeda managed a good media coup whether it planned it or not. ...
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Podcast: Packages from Yemen

Deputy Editor of The North Africa Journal discusses the latest security scare following the discovery of suspicious packages on flights bound to the United States and originating from Yemen. Click on the bottom bar at the left to listen to the CTV interview or on the image here....
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Deja-Vu in Tripoli

There was a clear reminder this week that Libya remains a country full of pitfalls for foreigners (western or non). In an all too common scene, witnessed so many times during the drawn out trial and appeal of the Bulgarian nurses throughout most of the past decade, a Libyan court has postponed the trial of two Swiss businessmen, who have been detained in Libya since July 2008. ...
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Capturing Business Opportunities in North Africa While Avoiding Risk

The North Africa Journal is pleased to provide a free presentation on how to capture business opportunities in North Africa while avoiding risk....
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BBC Debates with Alessandro Bruno and Guests on Libyan Issues (Audio)

The intense debate over Libya, which culminated with the release of Magrahi and Muamar Qadhaffi's speech at the UN has generated a great deal of attention in Western media, in particular in the United States. Qadhaffi's speech to the UN was an opportunity for the BBC Scotland to reassess the situation. The North Africa Journal's Alessandro Bruno was among the guests who take part to a debate organized by the BBC....
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Author info
image Alessandro Bruno Deputy Editor of The North Africa Journal Alessandro Bruno is a leading analyst of North African, Arab and international affairs. He specializes in strategic political and economic developments relating to the North African oil industry and Middle East politics. Mr. Bruno is also an analyst in the global investment banking sector for a leading international advisory group. Quoted in the press such as The Financial Times, Mr. Bruno holds a Master of Arts in Middle East Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Near Eastern Studies. He has completed course work for a PhD in Middle East Politics at the University of Toronto. Mr. Bruno brings a wealth of international experience, having lived and worked abroad in a variety of different countries. Most recently, he lived in Libya working as a Program Officer (JPO) with the United Nations Development Program. Mr. Bruno is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and French and has a working knowledge of Portuguese, Arabic and German.
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