Pressure Systems edition
Casablanca Protests and Pipeline Corridors Remake North Africa
July 23, 2026
What this edition shows
From street demonstrations outside Casablanca courts demanding the release of rapper Mehdi El Youbi to the multibillion-euro Nigeria-Morocco pipeline negotiations, mounting economic strain and geopolitical rivalry between Rabat and Algiers are reshaping state control across the region. As forty years of post-Bread Revolution grievances resurface through inflation protests and energy infrastructure projects, North African states find themselves caught between popular resistance and European geopolitical ambitions.
Reporting and analysis behind this edition 4 sources
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Morocco’s World Cup dream fuels a new generation of protest
Forty years after the Bread Revolution, inflation and state crackdowns are again leading young activists into the streets
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How the €23bn Nigeria-Morocco pipeline could reshape African energy
The vast project promises to link West African gasfields with regional markets and Europe, but financing and construction risks remain formidable.
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Calls for Moroccan rapper’s release outside a Casablanca court
Protesters gathered outside a court in Casablanca, Morocco to demand the release of Moroccan rapper Mehdi El Youbi.
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The Morocco-Algeria rivalry is remaking Europe’s North Africa policy
As Rabat and Algiers compete for influence, closer ties with one now carry consequences for relations with the other.