[b][u]North Africa[/u][/b]
[i]Egypt has already been addressed elsewhere. Some of this region may be dealth with as 'geographical' regions rather than nations, for ease of convenience.[/i]

[b]Libya, Tunisia & Algeria[/b]
During the 1990's and early 21st century, Libya remained a dictatorship under the reign of Muammar Gadaffi and the military dictatorship he had installed. The country remained a prosperous nation due to the great reserves of oil, and despite surprisingly forward social policies - such as equality and freedom for women, and democratic aspirations - the administration of the country still funded terrorist groups world-wide, and provided training facilities for terrorist groups, as well as supplying arms and aid to these groups. 
Internally, suppression of religion was brutal, especially after dissent from muslim leaders and tribal groups attempting to foment political dissent and overthrow against the Gadaffi regime. 
Libya had a good relationship with the USSR in the form of arms trading and exchange training of military personnel, but they remained at a distance due to political and ideological differences. However, Libya also had a belligerant relationship with Western powers, and frequently clashed over territorial rights.
When the Heavenfall struck in the early 2000's, the devastation rocked the country, especially along the heavily populated coastal areas. In the following chaos, upheavals and protests tore through the country, and during this Gadaffi was assassinated during an attempted coup. The resulting civil war was brief, but bloody, and resulted in the elimination of the coup leaders and their followers, and the new leaders of the government emerging as an even more authoritarian regime. They invested heavily in the military and sought to expand their borders for purposes of security and prosperity, while maintaining a choke-hold on their nation. 
As such, they have forged relations with the NCAA and the CAA, as well as trade with the PRC. They see the N/UN as an existential threat and an infringement on global freedom and peace, and actively sponsor anti-UN activity world wide. 
Not long after the coup, Libyan forces invaded and seized Tunisian territory, and have likwise moved across Algerian borders and seized territory and settlements. They have also attacked and engaged N/UN chartered shipping and flights providing aid and relief to Malta, with a stated intention of seizing the island nation as a 'safeguard' against N/UN expansion in the Mediterranean region, having already invaded and seized the islands of Linosa and Lampedusa. 
N/UN intelligence agencies have noted that Libyan representatives have been seeking expertise and materials for the construction of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons manufacturing and delivery systems, as well as expanding their blue-water naval assets and long-range military aircraft.

Algeria had been mired in civil war since the early 1990s, and this conflict showed little signs of end as the Heavenfall hit. Following the disaster, the government and country was in shambles, having been engaged in conflict prior to the disaster, it had little remaining infrastructure and services to deal with the fallout from the earthquakes, tidal waves, and other disasters. 
As such, when the Libyan armed forces invaded in the late 2000's, they saw little resistance and were met with welcoming arms by many in the country, or faced with providing food, aid, and reconstruction in order to take control of the assets they had intended to seize. 
Since then, the Libyans have gone about organising an interim government of their own choosing in order to facilitate the occupation. As such, Algeria is barely a shell of a nation, slowly rebuilding under Libyan guidance and with little in the way of its' own identity or independence on a global stage.

[b]Morocco & Western Sahara[/b]
Morocco was a key ally of the West during the Cold War, acting as a check against Communist expansion in Northern Africa. Relations between the West and Morocco were good, and remained so throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century. Despite there being some questions of human rights and freedoms by comparison to other nations, the country still remains a modern and relatively progressive one by comparison to other Islamic nations. 
The nation was heavily affected by seismic activity following the Heavenfall, but rebuilt quickly and was able to administer aid and relief to both its' own citizens and those in the contested territory of Western Sahara. Following the Heavenfall, Morocco allowed entry for refugees fleeing Algeria after the civil war and following Libyan invasion. With the assistance of the N/UN, a peaceful agreement was reached for the resolution of territorial issues with Western Sahara, with the region being acknowledged as an autonomous region, with Morocco aiding in the transition and preparations for independent leadership and governance. As of 2014, this process is still ongoing, with much international support and advisors in place, especially aiding in the dismantling of defences between the former Moroccan-administered territory. 
Morocco and now Western Sahara are important N/UN allies on the African continent against the NCAA, which has expressed anti-N/UN sentiments in the past. 

[b]The Sahara Desert[/b]
While the Sahara does not constitute a country - or countries - in itself, it covers a vast region of North Africa across many countries. The region is vast and incredibly sparsely inhabited, with little in the way of easily accessible natural resources. The region has not been colonised or occupied historically due to the challenges of doing so. However, in the wake of the Heavenfall and the early 21st century, MegaCorporation activity in the newly-formed NCAA with little restriction or oversight has lead to many experimental programs to explore resources and usage of the region. The alteration of the global tilt following the Heavenfall has affected the climate in the region, and the full extent of this has yet to be understood, but the change in global weather patterns has affected the Sahara, and has resulted in rainfall increasing in the area. 

[b]Somalia, Ethiopia and Djibouti[/b]
Somalia was a fractured nation during the 1990s and the early 21st century, wracked by civil war that lasted into the 21st Century. Despite international intervention by various United Nations forces, the situation failed to improve. A new federal government was finally installed in 2004 - just as the Heavenfall occurred.
The disaster lead to the overwhelming of the international forces stationed in-country, as they were cut off from their support and logistics, and the country was thrown into the grip of warlords and extremists. The conflict continued until 2008, when an Islamic majority government was established, forming ties with the ISL. 
While this government now controls the majority of the country including the capital city, the country itself is still in disarray. 
China has attempted to render aid and assist in establishing a legitimate government and rebuilding of infrastructure, but has been met with resistance from the ruling religious council, which has slowed progress. Additionally, there is little ability to enforce control over much of the country, and tribal control remains in place, with piracy being the main form of economic actvity along with the cultivation of narcotics and other criminal activites.
Several less-than reputable PMC's have been contracted by various factions in the region, either acting in favour of, or against, the pirate clans or the Islamic government as enforcers. This activity also has a knock-on effect to the region, making it a dangerous area to traverse.

Ethiopia continued to struggle with internal conflicts among ethnic groups. Human rights violations and democratic backsliding were concerns throughout the 1990s and early 21st century. 
During the Heavenfall, the country was affected greatly by tectonic activity, and the resulting devastation further crippled the country, causing widespread homelessness, starvation and disease, due to the governments inability to effectively deliver disaster relief to those affected. 
In the years following the devastation, foreign investment into the country came from MegaCorporations, stimulating the economy and leading to increased growth and development. As these companies were in need of workers, they invested into education along with medical facilities, and improvements in infrastructure such as clean water, waste management, and other such utilities. 
Ethiopia has resisted joining the NCAA so far, but has been courted to joined the multi-national alliance. They maintain cordial diplomatic ties with the NCAA, as well as with China and the N/UN alike, while remaining a developing and progressing power. 

Djibouti was engaged in a civil war during the 1990s and into the 2000s, until a peace treaty was finally signed between the warring factions. Democratic elections followed, and there was a period of peace and stability, but this came to an end as the Heavenfall crashed down and the country was ravaged by destruction and disaster. Following the chaos, the country was swallowed up by Somalia and its' support for the ISL.