Maghreb Media Roundup (16 July)

Tunisian boats, by neufal54 on Pixabay Tunisian boats, by neufal54 on Pixabay

Maghreb Media Roundup (16 July)

By : Maghreb Page Media Roundup Editors


[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Maghreb and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Maghreb Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each roundup to maghreb@jadaliyya.com]

Algeria:

احتجاجاتفيمراكزتصحيحامتحاناتالباكلوريابسببمقترحإلغاءالتربيةالإسلامية  Due to recent statements coming from an inspector of the Ministry of National Education regarding potential reforms removing Islamic sciences topics from baccalaureate examinations, a number of demonstrators gathered outside baccalaureate examination centers to protest.

Limogeage de responsables : pourquoi il ne faut pas tirer de conclusions hâtives An analysis of the recent shakeup in security officials in Algeria following the discovery a cocaine stash in Oran, leading to the dismissal of the country’s top security official.

احتجاجاتشعبيةجنوبالجزائربسببالأوضاعالاقتصادية A wave of popular protests broke out in southern Algeria over a delayed government response in improving poor social and economic conditions for residents living in the region.

French Ambassador: Algeria's visa quota guaranteed Despite controversy over the French embassy’s rejection of several applications for Schengen visas, the French ambassador to Algeria insists that they have not and will not reduce the quota of Schengen visas allotted to Algeria.

Les touristes algériens boudent-ils la Tunisie ? Experts et professionnels partagés An examination of recent tourism trends that appear to indicate a decline in the number of Algerians visiting Tunisia.

Africa may have witnessed its all-time hottest temperature Thursday: 124 degrees in Algeria Weather experts believe that the temperature of 124.3 degrees (51.3 Celsius) recorded in Ouargla, Algeria, likely stands as the highest temperature ever reliably measured in all of Africa, beating the previous record of 123.3 degrees (50.7 Celsius) in Morocco in 1961.

 

Libya:

المعدانييتسلمنسخةمنتقريرتقييمورصدالأممالمتحدةلمدينةسرت Mokhtar Al-Mudanni, Mayor of Sirte, received a copy of the Sirte Rapid City Monitoring and Multisectoral Assessment Report by United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) and Population Fund (UNFPA), described as reflecting a preliminary vision for the reconstruction and development of Sirte.

Reprise des exportations de pétrole dans l’Est libyen Oil exports from Eastern Libya have resumed after a significant reduction in oil production.

روماتحاولوأدمخرجاتاتفاقباريسحولالأزمةالليبية Media reports indicate that the Italian government recently organized a meeting focused on reversing agreements made at the Paris Conference on the Libyan Crisis in May by postponing the organization of presidential and parliamentary elections that the French advocated for holding within the year. 

CBL to continue with agreed economic reforms The Tripoli-based Central Bank of Libya (CBL) announced that the economic reform plan discussed at the Libya Economic Dialogue meeting in June would continue despite recent financial challenges facing the country.

Le chef de la diplomatie européenne à Tripoli pour parler coopération UE-Libye Top European Union diplomat Federica Mogherini visits Tripoli to discuss further building European Union-Libyan relations.

Libya to Resume Oil Exports From Eastern Terminals The National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced it has assumed control over Libya’s eastern oil ports and plans to resume exports immediately after reaching an agreement with the Libyan National Army (LNA) even though the two organizations support rival governments within Libya.

 

Mauritania:

ترشحياتالحزبالحاكمبينيديالرئيس  President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz received the lists for municipal and parliamentary candidates from his incumbent Union for the Republic (UPR) party.

Mauritanie : Bouamatou visé par une plainte pour blanchiment d’argent en France Businessman and regime opponent Mohamed Ould Bouamatou faces charges of money laundering in France. 

محافظاتالبنكالمركزي: يبررأسبابخروجموريتانيامنالمنظومةالنقديةالإفريقية The Governor of the Mauritanian Central Bank justified the decision to abandon the African franc on the grounds of pursuing monetary independence.

Scientists discover world's oldest color - bright pink Scientists discovered the world’s oldest colors, several shades of bright pink estimated to be 1.1 billion years old, in a marine shale deposit under the Sahara desert in the Taoudeni basin of Mauritania.

France-Mauritanie : l’AFD a signé des accords à Nouakchott During French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Nouakchott during the African Union Summit, a number of trade agreements were signed with Mauritania. 

Can AU Tackle Security Challenges in the Sahel? Although representatives of the African Union (AU) meeting in Nouakchott pledged to support efforts to counter extremism and terrorism in the Sahel region, experts warn that the AU might not be able to do much to improve the capabilities of the G5 Sahel force, which includes Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad.

 

Morocco:

المغربيشاركفيالاجتماعالوزاريالثامنللتعاونالعربيالصينيوعينهعلىالسياحوالاستثمارات Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Nasser Bourita plans to attend the eighth Arab-Chinese Cooperation Forum in Beijing, with an anticipated emphasis on tourism and investment.

Des milliers de personnes à Rabat pour la libération des détenus du Hirak Thousands march in Rabat to demand the release of Hirak activists recently sentenced to prison.

بنجرير.. اعتقالأفرادعصابةاجراميةينشطونفيسرقةالدراجاتالنارية A judicial police team dismantled a criminal gang of five people involved in motorcycle theft, including a nationally-pursued robber.

King Mohammed VI confirms keenness to 'upgrade' Morocco's relations with Algeria In a letter to President Bouteflika of Algeria on the occasion of Algerian Independence Day, King Mohammed VI of Morocco stressed his interest in upgrading relations between the two countries.

Le Conseil de l’UE valide la nouvelle version de l’accord agricole The European Union approves a new version of its agriculture and fisheries agreement with Morocco, set to include the Western Sahara, despite the European Court of Justice’s ruling in opposition to including the territory. 

SDX Energy Morocco  revenues should quadruple in next three years -CEO North Africa-focused oil and gas company SDX Energy announced the expectation that its revenues from Morocco will triple over the next three years from $12.4 million in 2017 due to output expansion and a new drilling project

 

Tunisia:

أزمةالماءفيتونس: العطش، منخطرإلىواقع A recent heat wave combined with interruptions of water infrastructure to cause shortages of drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people in a number of Tunisian states, including Tunis, Ben Arous, and Nabeul, a problem that exacerbates existing issues of pollution, waste, and malpractice.

Déchets solides dans le milieu rural en Tunisie: quelles solutions ? An examination of pollution in the rural regions of Tunisia and possible solutions to protect the environment.

الشاهد: 2018 آخرعامماليصعبعلىتونس Prime Minister Yousef al-Shahid claimed that 2018 stands as the last difficult year in Tunisia’s public finances due to a lack of new corporate taxes in the upcoming 2019 budget law and other initiatives and reforms. 

Tunisia attack: Nine police officers killed in gun and grenade assault In the highest death toll since 2015, militants killed nine members of Tunisia’s security forces in an attack in Gar Dimao near the border with Algeria, according to the state news agency. 

La Tunisie rejoint à son tour l’initiative chinoise « One Belt, One Road » Tunisia signs a number of major infrastructural agreements with China as part of its 2016-2020 Development Plan.

EU-Tunisia: Migration policies, their visas and our dead A slew of deadly wrecks in the ocean route from Tunisia to Europe taken by migrants draws attention to the complex administrative procedures involved in obtaining visas to European countries and a lack of migration support from the Tunisian government itself, both of which appear to exacerbate the problem.

 

Western Sahara:

اللجنةالتحضيريةللمؤتمرالثالثلإتحادالطلبةتعقداولاجتماعلها The Preparatory Committee for the 3rd Conference of the Saharawi Student’s Union held its founding meeting under the leadership of the President of the Sahrawi National Council and the Secretary General of the Sahrawi Workers’ Union.

Maroc – Algérie : Horst Köhler face au mirage des négociations sur le Sahara occidental An examination of the recent efforts led by the United Nations to resume negotiations over the Western Saharan conflict.

Establishment of Sahrawi-French Center, Ahmed Baba Maska, for Studies and Documentation The Sahrawi-French Center for Studies and Documentation, Ahmad Baba Maska, opened in Paris this week in honor of the late Sahrawi diplomat after whom it is named, and founders expect it to create a national academic database for research and studies.

Call for attaching greater importance to human rights situation The ambassadors of sixteen countries from five continents called for the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to focus more on the human rights situation in occupied cities of Western Sahara in a statement read by the South African ambassador.

 

Latest from Jadaliyya 

Revue de presse sur les élections municipales en Tunisie An overview of French media coverage in Tunisia’s recent municipal election.

Muriam Haleh Davis and Thomas Serres, eds. North Africa and the Making of Europe: Governance, Institutions and Culture (New Texts Out Now) An interview with editors of North Africa and the Making of Europe elaborates on how “marginal” areas such as North Africa have had a significant impact on the development of Europe. 

No Love Lost and Love Gained: On the Morocco-Iran Rift Morocco’s decision to sever ties with Iran and accusations of Iranian support for the Polisario Front comes after decades of tensions with Iran since its 1979 Revolution, but the recent changes stem more from an attempt to solidify the relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States than it does spite for Iran.

Samia Henni, Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria (New Texts Out Now) An interview with Samia Henni on her latest book that examines the often neglected aspects of France’s efforts to maintain Algeria under French rule during the Algerian War of Independence.

The Life Span of Alternative Media: Cases of Lake and Mamfakinch in Morocco Journalists and activists in Morocco helped to launch a new wave of alternative online media before, during, and after the 2011 Arab Spring; two alternative media in particular, Lakome and Mamfakinch demonstrate in their life cycles trends of interaction between alternative media, politics, and economic powers.

Jeffrey R. Halverson and Nathaniel Greenberg, Islamists of the Maghreb (New Texts Out Now) Jeffry Halverson and Nathaniel Greenberg discuss their book, Islamists of the Maghreb, in light of the central role that Maghreb countries played in the Arab Spring. 

زحفالثورةالمضادة Seven years after the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, issues of revolution and counterrevolution persist, as does the urban-rural divide.

James McDougall, A History of Algeria (New Texts Out Now) Interview with historian James McDougall on his latest book entitled A History of Algeria.

Tunisia and the International Community since 2011: Rentierism, Patronage and Moral Hazard Despite perceptions of a democratic Tunisia, the incoming flow of loans has upheld a undemocratic practices of patronage, failing to address protesters’ dominant socioeconomic grievances.

Morocco's Hirak Movement: The People Versus the Makhzen Morocco’s growing Hirak protests against the regime, now spreading throughout the country, receive a historical and political analysis.

Political Parties, Elections, and the Illusion of Opposition in Morocco As shown by the results of the October 2016 parliamentary elections, King Mohammed VI’s control over Moroccan politics demonstrates a pattern of increasing influence in the party system.

The Battleground for the Morocco-Algeria Rivalry The regional rivalry between Morocco and Algeria expands beyond conflict over Western Sahara to competition throughout Africa in light of Morocco’s foreign policy turn towards the continent.

حراكالريف: النظاميراهنعلىالحسمالامني Following months of protests in Morocco’s northern Rif region, the regime’s security forces assert their dominance in managing the ongoing crisis through

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Algeria

5 Multi-Millionaires From Algeria You Should Know With a population of forty million people, Algeria possesses one billionaire and five multi-millionaire entrepreneurs in varying sectors: Abdelmadjid Kerrar (Pharmaceuticals), Ali Haddad (Construction), Mohamed Laid Benamor (Food Manufacturing), Abderrahmane Benhamadi (Manufacturing), and Djilali Mehri (Beverages, Hotels).

« Mouwatana », une initiative pour « faire hâter le départ du régime » en Algérie After an open letter calling on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to withhold his candidacy in the upcoming presidential elections, Algerians launch an initiative dubbed “Mouwatana” criticizing Bouteflika’s candidacy.

Caliphate in Retreat  Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) lost control of its stronghold and several key members through either capture or killing by Algerian security forces, marking a decline in AQIM’s capacity and the failing effectiveness of its ideology.

الفايسبوك" لمحاكمة البرامج الرمضانية وسلطة الضبط الغائب الاكبر" Algerians turn to social media in reaction to this year’s Ramadan television shows.

L’Algérie, un pays peu attractif pour les investisseurs étrangers Algeria sees a twenty-six percent drop in foreign direct investment.

توتر بين الجزائر والاتحاد الأوربي بسبب الفيديو المسيئ للرئيس بوتفليقة Diplomatic tension rose between Algeria and the European Union over a controversial video by journalist Laila Haddad from Brussels where she criticized President Bouteflika’s ability to rule based on his ailing health,

Libya

UN Concerned by increasing humanitarian crisis in Derna and calls on all parties to respect human rights and conventions In its 30 May report on the city of Derna, under siege by the Libyan National Army (LNA) since July 2017, the United Nations (UN) reiterated humanitarian actors’ call for the respect of international humanitarian law and to allow food, medical assistance, and other necessities to reach locals in the city.

Libye : premières sanctions de l’ONU contre des trafiquants de migrants The United Nations Security Council sanctions six human traffickers active in Libya, a first for the international organization.

Libya's Presidential Council, Central Bank agree on economic reforms Attempting to end fuel price instability and boost the country’s currency, officials from Libya’s Presidential Council and the Central Bank agreed on economic reforms to reduce fuel subsidies and restart regular grants to families of seventy-three dollars per child.

Libya elections 2018: the missing ingredient Tarek Megerisi argues that rushing Libyans to vote may be counter-productive in terms of fostering national unity, despite a number of international actors such as the French pushing for presidential and parliamentary elections to be held by the end of 2018.

هذه أهم خلاصات مؤتمر باريس حول أزمة ليبيا The Paris Conference on the Libyan Crisis, featuring French President Emmanuel Macron and the four main actors in the Libyan conflict, focused on organizing free and fair parliamentary and presidential elections by the end of the year and getting assurances from Libyan actors that they would respect the results.

Élections le 10 décembre en Libye : une date, de l’optimisme et encore beaucoup de questions Despite a statement announcing elections for 10 December later this year, many questions loom about the process and actors’ commitments.

قوات الجيش تعلن السيطرة على 75% من درنة After almost a year of siege, the Libyan National Army (LNA) announced that it controlled approximately seventy percent of the city of Derna, continuing the reported mission of expelling terrorism from the city.

Mauritania

Mauritania: Food Insecurity - Emergency Plan of Action This report details the food and nutrition insecurity crisis in Mauritania, with 350,600 people in severe food insecurity as of March 2018 caused by declines in pastoral and agricultural production due to rainfall deficit.

Mali : 16 blessées dans une march de l’opposition Sixteen people were injured following clashes during a protest organized by the opposition group “Coalition pour l’Alternance et le Changement.”

موريتانيا تودّع دبلوماسية الكرسي الفارغ An op-ed critically examines Mauritania’s foreign policy and its diplomatic position in the global stage.

Corridor to the future? Mauritania's nomadic herders seek safe passage through drought Facing starving and dehydrated herds, many of Mauritania’s nomadic herders opt to cross tens of miles of arid land and sell parts of their herds, but a new project run by a team of charities, researchers, and local authorities strives to create new safe pastoralist corridors for travel.

ديمي منت آبه... واحة أغنيات في صحراء موريتانيا A tribute to Mauritanian singer Dimi Mint Abba seven years after her death.

Mauritanie: Les subsahariens se sentent discriminés au sujet de la carte de séjour A number of sub-Saharan African migrants express their grievances in facing discrimination when applying for residency in Mauritania.

Morocco

Morocco consumer boycott has big business in its sights A consumer boycott launched on 20 April has called for the rejection of three companies representing Morocco’s main milk, water and petrol brands, with popular backing for the boycott promoted by Facebook pages with millions of users.

« Akhannouch dégage », le slogan qui révèle une guerre larvée entre le PAM et le RNI While King Mohammed VI was visiting Tangier, locals chanted slogans against Aziz Akhannouch, close friend of the king, minister of agriculture and fisheries, head of the National Rally of Independents (RNI), and head of the Afriquia gas company, which is facing a boycott call.

Morocco to send medical team to Gaza King Mohammed VI announced the decision to send a medical team to the Gaza Strip to provide treatment to victims of the “Great March of Return.”

دفاع الحكومة عن "سنطرال" يشعل الخلاف بين العثماني وشبيبة حزبه Divisions emerge within the leading Party of Justice and Development (PJD) after Prime Minister Saaeddine El-Othmani’s government defense Centrale-Danone, one of the companies facing a boycott call. Members of the PJD youth branch accuse the government of protecting companies over consumers.

La boulette du PJD au sujet de la démission de Daoudi Facing backlash after images circulated showing government minister Lahcen Daoudi participating in a demonstration of workers from Centrale-Danone, which is facing a boycott call, Daoudi resigns from his cabinet position.

مراكش.. ايقاف ١٢٢٠ شخصا مبحوثا عنه من أجل ضلوعهم في جنايات وجنح مختلفة منذ بداية شهر رمضان During the first two thirds of the month of Ramadan in Marrakesh, security forces arrested over 1,220 people on various charges such as wearing improper clothing, drug offenses, and suspicious carrying of weapons.

Tunisia

Dozens drown after migrant boat sinks off Tunisia coast At least forty-seven migrants died and sixty-eight others were rescued after a migrant boat sank off Tunisia’s southern coast, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

UE-Tunisie : Les politiques migratoires, leurs visas et nos morts A critical examination of migration policies between Tunisia and the European Union following countless of deaths in off the Tunisian coast.

التطبيع الاقتصادي بين تونس وإسرائيل: خيانة دولة A deeper look into Tunisian-Israeli relations, including economic and diplomatic ties.

Tunisia Truth Commission Brings One Court Case in Four Years After four years of working to provide justice for victims of the decades-long Ben Ali dictatorship, the Truth and Dignity Commission only brought one case to court and held a single hearing by the expiration of its mandate on 31 May.

Lutte pour les droits LGBT: une dynamique enrayée par les conflits stratégiques An overview on the struggle for LGBT rights in Tunisia.

مسلسل "تاج الحاضرة":عندما يتلاش التاريخ امام زحف الدراما The Tunisian TV program “Taj al-Hadara” aims to balance the facts and history of the events from which it draws inspiration, mainly the formation of modern Tunisia in the middle of the nineteenth century, with the need for entertainment and drama sometimes losing accuracy in favor of narrative and dramatic cliches.

Western Sahara

European Parliament to stand against any decision contrary to international legality During a Western Sahara-focused conference in Milan, Italy, Vice President of the European Parliament Fabio Massimo Castaldo issued a statement opposing illegal foreign exploitation of natural resources in Western Sahara.

Le Maroc et la question du Sahara occidental Academic scholar Khadija Mohsen-Finan participates in a radio program on recent developments of the Western Saharan conflict.

The Not-So-Great Wall of The Western Sahara A 2,700-kilometer wall, built by Morocco in the 1980s, separates the eighty percent of the Western Sahara filled with valuable resources and controlled by Morocco from the Polisario Front-controlled desert region in the East.

الصحراء الغربية ..توتر مستمر وحلول متعسرة Although events and escalating tensions around Western Sahara have recently slowed, the Moroccan foreign ministry continues to accuse the Polisario Front of violating the terms of the ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile, the Polisario Front continues to organize events to commemorate the forty-fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the conflict, indicating continued struggles to come.

Au Sahara occidental, le Front Polisario fête ses 45 ans dans un climat de tension The Polisario Front commemorates forty-five years since its established amid mounting tensions.

Latest from Jadaliyya

Revue de presse sur les élections municipales en TunisieAn overview of French media coverage in Tunisia’s recent municipal election.

Muriam Haleh Davis and Thomas Serres, eds. North Africa and the Making of Europe: Governance, Institutions and Culture (New Texts Out Now) An interview with editors of North Africa and the Making of Europe elaborates on how “marginal” areas such as North Africa have had a significant impact on the development of Europe.

No Love Lost and Love Gained: On the Morocco-Iran Rift Morocco’s decision to sever ties with Iran and accusations of Iranian support for the Polisario Front comes after decades of tensions with Iran since its 1979 Revolution, but the recent changes stem more from an attempt to solidify the relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the United States than it does spite for Iran.

Samia Henni, Architecture of Counterrevolution: The French Army in Northern Algeria (New Texts Out Now) An interview with Samia Henni on her latest book that examines the often neglected aspects of France’s efforts to maintain Algeria under French rule during the Algerian War of Independence.

The Life Span of Alternative Media: Cases of Lake and Mamfakinch in Morocco Journalists and activists in Morocco helped to launch a new wave of alternative online media before, during, and after the 2011 Arab Spring; two alternative media in particular, Lakome and Mamfakinch demonstrate in their life cycles trends of interaction between alternative media, politics, and economic powers.

Jeffrey R. Halverson and Nathaniel Greenberg, Islamists of the Maghreb (New Texts Out Now) Jeffry Halverson and Nathaniel Greenberg discuss their book, Islamists of the Maghreb, in light of the central role that Maghreb countries played in the Arab Spring.

زحف الثورة المضادة Seven years after the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, issues of revolution and counterrevolution persist, as does the urban-rural divide.