Bangladesh, Jan. 4 -- North Africa enters 2026 carrying a paradox that is increasingly difficult to ignore. On the surface, the region appears relatively stable compared with much of the continent. Growth rates are respectable, state institutions remain functional, and global powers now treat North Africa as strategically indispensable rather than merely diplomatically useful. Yet beneath these reassuring indicators lie vulnerabilities that are deep, structural, and converging. Economic recovery has outpaced political renewal, climate stress is steadily eroding social contracts, and external engagement has become more transactional as the global order fragments. North Africa is not failing, but it is no longer insulated from the pressures...