[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 week`s roundup to maghreb@jadaliyya.com by Thursday night of every week.]
Algeria
Sellal annonce la candidature de Bouteflika à la présidentielle (Actualisé) Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal announces Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s run for a fourth term as President of Algeria.
Algerian Cartoonist Faces 18 Months in Jail for Mocking President Abdou Semmar highlights the case of Algerian cartoonist Djamel Ghanem who faces eighteen months in prison for an unpublished cartoon criticizing Bouteflika’s impending presidential run.
What Can Egypt Learn from Algeria? Maghreb page co-editor Allison L McManus offers a comparison and lessons from 1980s Algeria to Egypt today.
Algerian opposition leader shares views on upcoming elections Kaci Racelma interviews Algerian opposition leader, leader of the Front for Change party, about the approaching elections.
Crépuscule du pouvoir en Algérie Hacen Ouali outlines divisions in Algeria’s government, offering context to FLN Secretary General Amar Saadani’s recent disparaging comments about the security apparatus.
Libya
La Libye proroge les lois liberticides de l`ère kadhafi Reporters Without Borders expresses grave concern over the language of Libya’s draft constitution, which it claims is farther than ever from the principle of civil liberty.
Voters make their choices Ahmed Elumami outlines Libya’s complex voting procedure.
Low Voter Turn-Out Casts Doubt on Libya’s New Constitution Joseph Podrasky reports that only fifteen percent of Libyans voted on the constitution-drafting assembly.
خطوات مثقلة الى صناديق الأقتراع Ahlam Elbadri offers a personal and more positive view on Libya’s elections.
Mauritania
Mauritania fertile ground for Arab donors IRIN reports on Mauritania’s effort to court Arab engagement with humanitarian aid.
Kadiata Malick Diallo, ancienne députée et membre du bureau exécutif de l`UFP After the delayed announcement of a new Mauritanian government, Le Calame interviews Kadiata Malick Diallo, former deputy of the Union of Forces of Progress party; she declared the announcement a “non-event.”
Aziz/UPR: Désaccord ou Rébellion Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Targui describes the delay in the announcement of a new government as indicative of power struggle in Mauritania.
Morocco
Morocco`s new migration policy masks continued abuses On the tails of the murder of migrants crossing from Morocco into Spain, IRIN explores the efficacy and intent of Morocco’s new migration policy.
Non, le 20 février n’est pas mort Omar el Hyani believes the February 20 Movement is still alive, though much work remains to achieve its objectives.
Le site Lakome.com toujours bloqué malgré les demandes introduite par Ali Anouzla Reporters Without Borders demands the unblocking of independent media site Lakome.com, which has been shut down since editor Ali Anouzla’s detention last year.
مامفاكينش فكرة مبدعة سنة 2011 لم تعد كذلك في 2014 و وجب تجديدها After three years of operation, Mamfakinch critically self-reflects and discusses its future.
Tunisia
Tunisia: Jailed Facebook User Pardoned, Release Unconfirmed Afef Abrougui reports that President Moncef Marzouki has pardoned Jabeur Mejri, who had been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for “insulting Islam.”
Can Mehdi Jomaa Fix Tunisia’s Economy? Svetlana Milbert outlines challenges that Mehdi Jomaa will need to overcome in getting Tunisia’s economy back on track.
Le scrutin qu’il faut en Tunisie pour contrer la curée du pouvoir Farhat Othman discusses the political elites in the upcoming elections.
Western Sahara
Unfair sentences against Sahrawi journalists and human rights defenders The Sahara Press Service reports that courts sentenced four Sahrawi journalists to between four and six months in prison for their political stances.
Dispatches: Not-So-Free Expression Online in Western Sahara Eric Goldstein of Human Rights Watch discusses the repression of protests in Laayoune during a recent visit by British MPs.
These artists are transforming the dreary environment of the Saharawi refugee camps Agaila Abba highlights artistic production in the Sahara refugee camps.
Recent Jadaliyya Articles on the Maghreb
القانون الانتخابي في تونس بين فخّ المال السياسي والصعوبات القانونية واللوجستية Khawla Euchi analyzes the development of Tunisia’s electoral law and challenges to its implementation.
Nouveau Webdoc: Au centre de Tunis: géographies de l’espace public après une révolution Jadaliyya Reports on a new web documentary about public space after the revolution in Tunisia.
The Tunisian Constitution: The Process and the Outcome Mohamed-Salah Omri traces the ups and downs of writing the Tunisian Constitution, and offers some indicators for the future.
The State of the Western Sahara Maghreb page co-editor Allison L McManus conducts an interview with four Sahrawi activists and writers, who speak on the current state of affairs in both Morocco-occupied and SADR-administrated Western Sahara.
ثورة كطوق الياسمين Youssef Cherif highlights economic and security challenges in Tunisia, but ends on a positive note.
Judiciary Draft Laws in Morocco: Undercutting the Young Judges Movement Anass Saadoun presents Moroccan judges’ struggle for independence and the efforts of the regime (through a judicial reform law) to break this new movement.
Libya’s Revolution `Will Not Stop Until We Have Freedom` Alastair Stone laments the tenacity of political repression in Libya, highlighting the case of jailed writer Jamal al-Hajji.
Tunisia’s Judges: The Intra-State Struggle for Independence Mohamed Afif Jaidi highlights institutional attempts and obstacles to creating an independent judiciary in Tunisia.
Crise politique et question territoriale en Tunisie Sami Yassine Turki explores the “territorial question” at its intersection with Tunisian socio-politics, interrogating public space and a tension between centralization and decentralization.