[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 Tuesday night of every week]
Algeria
Extinguishing Free Expression in Algeria Algeria made significant reforms to its constitution in March, allowing for the freedom of assembly and the press. However, these reforms were contradicted when several arrests violating this written freedom were made throughout the year.
Human rights group calls on Algeria to release journalist who criticised police corruption Human Rights Watch demands release of Hassan Bouras and repeal of defamation laws under which he was convicted.
مساهل: الجزائر حريصة على صداقاتها مع الدول Algerian statesman Abdelkader Messahel affirmed that Algeria is keen on strengthening its partnership with all countries with which it establishes traditional relations for cooperation and exchange.
تحرير الجزائر من تبعية النفط يصطدم بفشل الحكومة في تحريك الاقتصاد The new economic model that the Algerian government devised to address the repercussions of falling oil revenues was not able to diversify the economy.
First Sahara desert snow in 40 years captured in photographs For the first time in thirty-seven years, snow has fallen on the dunes of the Algerian desert.
La vidéo d’une femme violée soulève un Tollé général en Algérie A video of a woman being humiliated and violently raped provokes waves of rage across Algeria.
Libya
منصة إلكترونية تعليمية تمكن طلبة الطب من الألتحاق بجامعات عالمية Libyan entrepreneur, Ahmed Abukersh, developed an online platform that offers practice exams for medical students who want to pursue their education or work abroad.
Libya passenger jet hijacked, diverted to Malta On 23 December, a Libyan aircraft with 118 people on board was hijacked and diverted to Malta by two men claiming to have explosives.
Human Rights Watch urges protection for Libya civilians The Human Rights Watch suggests that the Libyan government provides safety and medical care for the Libyan civilians who were recently imprisoned after escaping from Sirte.
Disease and mines rule in Libya`s former IS bastion Residents of Al-Giza al-Bahriya, a former ISIS bastion in Sirtre which was recently taken over by unity government-allied forces, have been unable to return to their houses considering the grounds are riddled with explosives, decomposing corpses, and possible diseases.
Libye : quand l’Histoire permet de décrypter l’actualité An analysis of the relevance of Libyan history to the nation’s current events.
Financement libyen : ce que Ziad Takieddine a dit aux juges Ziad Takieddine presents his evidence concerning Sarkozy’s suspicious acceptance of money from Libya.
Mauritania
متى تستفيق موريتانيا من غفوتها وتستعيد صحوتها؟ This article examines Mauritania’s position in the Western Sahara conflict and its relations with Morocco and Algeria.
موريتانيا .. دعوة إلى الوقوف على الحياد An analysis of Morocco’s geo-strategic and tactical interests in Mauritania.
UAE installs eight solar energy plants in Mauritania Masdar partners with Société Mauritanienne d’Electricité as energy transition projects grow in Mauritania
Death Penalty Looms for Mauritanian Blogger Accused of Insulting Islam Mohamed Ould Cheikh Ould Mkhaitir, the blogger who was recently arrested for a blog post critical of the caste system faces the possibility of the death penalty.
Mauritanie : énième lifting pour la Constitution Professor Ahmed Salem Ould Bouboutt details the evolution of the Mauritanian constitution.
Mauritanie: République Islamique et Havre de Paix pour Homosexuels Despite the penal law’s condemnation of homosexuality, the sexual orientation is said to be tolerated by Mauritanian society.
Morocco
El Hasnae, morte après un viol, devient un nouveau symbole de lutte El Hasnae, an eighteen year old girl who passed away due to a traumatic gang-rape, has become a symbol in the struggle to eliminate violence against women.
Tiznit: Des femmes construisent elles-mêmes la route qui mène à leur Douar (vidéo) Women in the regions of Tiznit work hard to build a road leading to their village.
تقرير دولي : المغرب يتراجع في مؤشر السلام! Morocco lags behind in peace indicators, according to a report produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace and the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Sydney.
Subversive Women in Colonial North Africa The memoir of an English woman who moved to Morocco on the eve of the French protectorate shows us that colonial encroachment created new opportunities for women to travel and challenge social norms.
هل هناك حياة أخرى لليسار؟ Director of Publishing for Zamane, a monthly historical journal, questions the political scene in Morocco and the tyranny of the middle on the mosaic of Moroccan political life.
Au Maroc, 92 prisonniers sont dans les couloirs de la mort Ninety-two prisoners currently await capital punishment in Morocco
The death of Mohsen Fikri and the long history of oppression and protest in Morocco`s Rif Moroccan journalist, correspondent, and activist Imad Stitou identifies the historical processes of protest and marginalization in the region.
Tunisia
"عرض الأجساد" لمواجهة العنف ضد المرأة في تونس A campaign raised awareness to address violence against women in Tunis.
انتقادات لتزويج قاصر من مغتصبها في تونس The marriage of a minor to her rapist sparked widespread outrage in Tunis.
Tunisie : manifestation de colère après un assassinat attribué à Israël Two to three hundred people gathered in the center of Tunis to protest against Israel after the death of a Tunisian engineer which Hamas attributed to Israel.
New museum space brings Tunisia`s history to life Tunisians reflect on their modern history and national foundations at an exhibit called "The Rise of a Nation," on display in the Qsar es-Said.
معركة ضريبية مع المهن الحرة في تونس Anger is growing among certain circles of liberal professions in Tunisia due to new tax regulations.
How this Tunisian commission is fighting corruption Al-Monitor interviews Chawki Tabiba, head of the Tunisian Anti-Corruption Commission, about the commission’s plans to fight corruption.
Western Sahara
قرار المحكمة الأوروبية رفض لمزاعم سيادة المغرب على الصحراء European Court of Justice ruled that Western Sahara cannot be treated as a part of Morocco. This means that EU-Morocco trade deals cannot apply to the territory.
Western Sahara: One Year On, Woman Still Prevented From Returning to Spain A Spanish woman of Sahrawi origin visiting her family in a refugee camp in Algeria was prevented from returning to her home country.
Sahara occidental : nouveau déploiement de l’armée sahraouie près de la frontière avec la Mauritanie The Sahrawi army has set up multiple fixed and mobile points in front of the Moroccan wall in the Guelta Zemmour area near Mauritania with the goal of preventing pillages.
Menor de edad arrestado y torturado en el Sáhara Occidental A teenage Sahrawi boy was brutally arrested and tortured by Moroccan forces, then forced to sign a confession drafted by the police, for participating in a protest.
Soccer club gives Sahrawi kids a workout — and hope Esalam soccer club provides training to children who live in the Smara camp of southwestern Algeria.
Western Sahara: Adala UK Renews Call to Allow International Observers Access to Western Sahara British Human Rights organization call on Morocco to allow International Observers into the Western Sahara.
Recently Published Jadaliyya Articles
Why History Matters in Post-2011 Morocco Susan Gilson Miller offers a salutary reminder of the importance of historical memory to an understanding of the events unfolding in Morocco after the Arab revolts.
Imider vs. COP22: Understanding Climate Justice from Morocco`s Peripheries In preparation for the COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco polished the most visible parts of the city and lifted its partial ban on social media, attempting to appear environmentally conscious and politically moderate. In reality, it was only hiding its social and environmental crimes in villages such as Imider, three hundred kilometers south of the environmental convention.
Why Is a Moroccan Professor Being Charged with "Endangering State Security?" An interview with history professor and 20 February Movement participant Maati Monjib, subject to a travel ban in August 2015.
The Death of a Nomad The murder of forty-eight year old Sahrawi Shmad Bad July by Moroccan soldiers, a clear violation of the cease-fire, was inadequately addressed by the United Nations.
New Texts Out Now: Jonathan Wyrtzen, Making Morocco: Colonial Intervention and the Politics of Identity An interview of Jonathan Wyrtzen, author of Making Morocco: Colonial Intervention and the Politics of Identity.