Europe’s Next Crisis Could Be in Africa

Last week, Italy declared a state of emergency after over 31,000 migrants entered the country so far this year—compared to almost 8,000 over the same period last year. There are signs things could get a whole lot worse.

Sudan stands on the brink of civil war after fighting broke out between the military and paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (rsf). The two worked together to oust dictator Omar al Bashir. Now they’re fighting throughout the capital while thousands flee. Fighting is also happening in more remote parts of the country, making it difficult to get an accurate count of the dead.

Meanwhile, Mali is a forgotten conflict. There’s a lot of violence going on across Mali and Niger that is overlooked by most of the media. The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara made some important gains just over a week ago. Other groups, including one affiliated with al Qaeda, are also fighting in the country.

The prospect of another migrant crisis is forcing Europe to watch this closely. In 2015, 150,000 migrants arrived in Europe—reshaping politics across the Continent. Another migrant crisis would not just unseat political leaders, but it would destroy political parties.

At the same time, North Africa is becoming more important for European energy. As Europe looks to shift away from Russia, it is looking at getting more energy from countries like Algeria and Libya. One planned project, the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, would be very close to some of the violent areas.

Italian Prime Minster Giorgia Meloni has been especially active in looking for energy ties in this area.

It’s why Germany’s largest oversees military mission has been in Mali. The country has fallen out with Mali’s current leadership and is now shifting its focus to Niger. Last week, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited both countries. France has also been working on training militaries in the area.

In 2013, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry wrote: “Northern Africa is turning into a battleground with enormously important prophetic implications.” Daniel 11 describes a clash between a European “king of the north” and a radical Islamic “king of the south.” The inclusion of countries like Libya and Ethiopia in this prophecy shows that much of this clash takes place in North Africa. And you can see it building right now.

To learn more, read our free, newly updated booklet The King of the South.