Riccardo Fabiani

In this piece for Jadaliyya on North Africa's decoupling from Europe and the US, I argue that there are three trends at work: selective disengagement, new players filling the ensuing vacuum, and bottom-up demands for sovereignty. jadaliyya.com/Details/42336/…

This is a great program. I'm glad @solerlecha is at the helm. I met @SayighYezid for the first time taking his course in 2022. It was the start of a great friendship. In addition to Yezid, the faculty includes brilliant friends like @TinhinanEl @jbdacey @LurdesVidal & @ricfabiani

📩🚨Welcome to The Month Ahead - helping you make sense of a world lurching from crisis to crisis. Nearly four weeks into the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, the global shockwaves are only beginning. I analyse the fallout and what might come next: mailchi.mp/crisisgroup.or…

🔴 We are hiring a Deputy Program Director for our MENA Program to join our team at @CrisisGroup. 📍 Hybrid / Based in MENA region preferably. Learn more and apply here: jobs.crisisgroup.org/o/deputy-progr…

Washington’s direct involvement in the dispute over Western Sahara’s status is intended to increase pressure on the parties and accelerate progress toward a settlement. It remains unclear whether talks produced tangible outcomes, writes @ricfabiani. crisisgroup.org/anb/middle-eas…

NEW ANALYST'S NOTEBOOK | Renewed U.S.-led Talks in Madrid Lend Momentum to Western Sahara Diplomacy, but Big Challenges Remain @ricfabiani reports on U.S.-led talks to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara, and the stumbling blocks that lie ahead. crisisgroup.org/anb/middle-eas…

My short take on the Madrid talks on Western Sahara crisisgroup.org/anb/middle-eas…

"There is now a pretty important constituency that has lost its leader and will struggle to replace him,” which potentially creates a vacuum that other #Libya actors can take advantage of, @ricfabiani said bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

Carney's speech may be the greatest political speech anyone has made in my lifetime, but I think it's more subtle than most people are giving him credit for. In particular, when he says that "we knew the story of the international rules-based order was partially false", "partially" is as important as "false". I constantly rage against the hypocrisy of the discourse about the "rules-based international order", so I can hardly be accused of naivety on the topic, but as I've also said in the past I think the view that international norms can't constrain states in any way due to the anarchical nature of the international system is just as simplistic. The tricky part about international law in general is that, for it to work, you have to sort of believe in it so it will constrain you somewhat but also realize that it's kind of fake, so you won't be disappointed because it doesn't live up to the unrealistically high expectations you have for it and end up throwing away the whole thing.

What are the internal and regional implications of #Morocco’s normalization of relations with #Israel? Join us Thursday to discuss Speakers: @MohamedDaadaoui, Aicha Elbasri, Samia Errazzouki, @ricfabiani, @neepd To learn more and RSVP👇 arabcenterdc.org/event/morocco-…

What are the prospects for political reform in #Morocco? Join us Thursday to discuss Speakers: @MohamedDaadaoui, Aicha Elbasri, Samia Errazzouki, @ricfabiani, @neepd To learn more and RSVP👇 arabcenterdc.org/event/morocco-…

Unless there is a radical and unpredictable change in the local or international circumstances, the conflict seems to be slowly headed towards a unilateral, partial resolution that risks leaving thousands of refugees stranded and disenfranchised.

Meanwhile, the Polisario doesn't have a credible strategy to achieve what it wants. Diplomatically, its passivity is only working against its own interests. Militarily, they have no viable options, due to the limits they face in terms of equipment and rules of the game.

The draft resolution in blue is already doing the rounds. In short, it's an honourable compromise and a wasted opportunity to achieve progress on Western Sahara.

"If this resolution is to facilitate the wider goal of calming relations between Rabat and Algiers, U.S. officials will need to take advantage of Algeria’s presence on the UNSC to ensure that its views—presumably coordinated with the Polisario Front—are taken into consideration"