While Egypt has descended into chaos, the political landscape in Libya is no better, and dominated by a low-intensity civil war. Towns from Kufra to Benghazi are witnessing heightened tension.
In Tunisia, there is now an open conflict between secularists and Islamists on one hand, and the Islamist Ennahda party in power against the ultra-conservatives Salafists. The secular movement is fighting back but it is facing huge resistance from the conservatives, with pro-democracy activists, from the feminists to artists being sent to prison.
In Algeria, the health of the President, who is severely ill has created a major political vacuum with the future of the country in question and fear of instability looming. Despite the Prime Minister acting as a caretaker of sort, big presidential decisions are frozen or made through the Prime Minister through a process that legal observers call unconstitutional. That country continues to struggle with bad politicians and corporate leaders, with a few having been caught practicing corruption and abuse of power. The latest of such cases involves utility firm Sonelgaz, and fresh allegations of abuses in Sonatrach's London operation.
Further south, the French intervention in Mali did not necessarily solve the crisis in the Sahelian nation as more problems are emerging both within Mali and outside of it. Terrorist leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar is alive and busy harassing everyone in the region.
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