[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
The death of politics in Algeria The emerging role of Amira Bouraoui has become synonymous with anti-Bouteflika sentiments as the country’s leader remains in power despite his ailing condition.
Les frères ennemis: Europe's balancing act between Morocco and Algeria Despite Morocco’s ascension to the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council and recent engagement with the European Union (EU) on the G5 Sahel counterterrorism project, the EU cannot overlook Algeria’s continued economic, political, and social influence in the region.
Algeria Has Repatriated 27,000 African Migrants Since 2015- Minister Interior Minister Noureddine Bedoui claims that Algeria repatriated 27,000 sub-Saharan African migrants between 2015 and 2018 and will continue to return migrants to their home countries, a policy largely criticized by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International.
Lancement d’un nouveau round de négociations A new round of negotiations begins between resident doctors and the Algerian government following a 4-month strike.
السرية البنكية لن تحمي بعد الان الارصدة المشبوهة للجزائريين في فرنسا Following a presidential decree regarding judicial cooperation between Algeria and France, suspicious assets of Algerians in France will no longer receive secrecy protections.
Le permis biométrique officiellement lancé : ce qui va changer Algeria announces a move from the paper drivers license to a biometric license.
"رياح تقتلع الاشجار بالجزائر.. ومنكوبون ب"طوفان الربيع Heavy winds, rain, and snow hit Algeria, causing traffic accidents, power outages and stranding families who had to be rescued by civilian protection units.
Libya
LPA amendment less important with nearing of elections While the stalled Libyan Political Agreement (LPA) shows few signs of making significant progress, UNSMIL head Ghassan Salame reports that nearing elections may decrease the importance of the agreement, raising the need for inclusive and credible elections.
Spain nabs IS-linked experts selling looted Libyan artifacts Spanish police arrested two Spanish art experts as suspects in running a ring that sold Libyan artifacts looted by groups connected to the Islamic State, seizing several works of art such as mosaics and a sarcophagus in raids in Barcelona.
Sarkozy's Gadhafi Connection Former French President Sarkozy faces accusations of accepting millions of euros in campaign contributions from Muammar Gaddafi, raising questions about Sarkozy’s history of interactions with the Gaddafi regime during his tenure.
دعوة حقوقية التمهيد لانتخابات نزيهة في ليبيا Human Rights Watch calls for free and fair elections amidst fear that violence and instability in the country would prevent accountability and transparency.
Financement libyen de la campagne de Sarkozy : qui sont les protagonistes ? A breakdown of the key actors in the ongoing case against Sarkozy involving Gaddafi’s campaign contributions.
مؤتمرات اللمصالحة في ليبيا فرص لتشكيل تحالفات جديدة Conferences in Tripoli aim to address social differences resulting from armed conflict in the country since the 2011 “Arab Spring,” but jockeying for alliances, such as one between representatives from Zintan and Misrata, two cities home to powerful armed groups, could lead to more fighting.
Mauritania
Wheat in heat: the 'crazy idea' that could combat food security Scientists developed a new variety of wheat capable of growing in the Senegal River basin, running through Senegal, Mali, and Mauritania. The durum wheat, which can withstand constant temperatures of forty degrees Celsius may help relieve the pressures of food security that the region continuously faces.
Mauritanie : qui pour succéder à Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz en 2019 ? After Mauritanian president Mohamed Ould Abdelaziz announces he will not seek reelection in 2019, this report examines the question of who will potentially succeed him as the country’s next president.
Mauritanian president praises Egypt University's role in spreading moderate Islam President Ould Abdelaziz praised Egypt’s Al Azhar University for spreading moderate Islam in the face of extremism, proposing institutional links with Mauritanian universities, as well as a joint scientific committee.
L'esclavage de jeunes Mauritaniennes en Arabie saoudite face à la justice A rare case of justice following the enslavement of a young Mauritanian girl forced to work as domestic laborers under harsh and brutal conditions in Saudi Arabia.
مسرحين "نساء ٨٩" تنشر الصمت والحزن النقد A women’s play in Nouakchott about the 1989 events between Mauritania and Senegal heavily featured themes of silence, sadness, and loss of female victims of the conflict.
القضاء الموريتاني يمنع الصحفي موسي صمب سي من الحج The Mauritanian public prosecutor prevented journalist Musa Bin Sambeh Si from performing the Hajj after he won the lottery conducted by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs.
Mauritanie : L’ambassadeur d’Algérie annonce une ouverture "très prochaine" d’un passage frontalier Algeria’s ambassador to Mauritania announces the forthcoming opening of a new border crossing between the two countries.
منتدى المعارضة يطالب باطلاق سراح ولد غدة Mauritania’s largest gathering of its political opposition, the National Forum for Democracy and Unity, called for the release of former lawmaker Mohamed Ould Ghada, dubbed an unlawful imprisonment.
Morocco
Mohammed VI, le roi « virtuel » du Maroc As Morocco’s King Mohammed VI remains in France, where he has been since February, critical voices emerge to challenge his absence as the country contends with political and socioeconomic issues.
World Cup 2026: Morocco bids for event, along with US, Mexico & Canada The Moroccan Football Federation highlighted safety and security, touting low rates of murder and gun violence, as reasons to choose Morocco over the joint bid from Canada, Mexico, and the United States in Morocco’s fifth bid to host the World Cup.
حراك جرادة.. تأجيل محاكمة 11 ناشطا.. والتحقيق التفصيلي مع 15 آخرين The trial of eleven activists arrested for their involvement in protests in the poor mining town of Jerada is postponed.
Le Maroc dénonce des incursions du Front Polisario au Sahara occidental Moroccan government officials convened for meetings on Sunday, announcing strongly-worded statements regarding what they allege is the Polisario’s encroaching presence in the Guerguerate buffer zone.
Morocco's Difficult Path to ECOWAS Membership Morocco’s attempts to expand trade relations in West Africa face a significant challenge in the form of political and social opposition to Rabat’s formal application to join the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
'Migrants don't exist': Morocco struggles with migration issues despite reforms Despite the legal changes and reforms regarding the status of migrants in Morocco, largely funded by the European Union, migrants are still attempting to cross into Europe, resorting to dangerous methods that have only further put them in danger.
العقلية الحزبية بالمغرب .. إلى أين An op-ed examines the roles and ideologies of political parties in Morocco.
Sahara: le Maroc prêt à une option militaire de ‘hot pursuit’ contre le Polisario ? Reports loom over the possibility of Morocco considering a military option against the Polisario, in a move that would undermine the 1991 ceasefire agreement between the two parties.
حراك جرادة" يحشد دعم ٨ هيآت سياسية ومطالب بتدخل دولي - وثيقة" Document claims to show the Hirak movement’s connections with a number of institutions and the movement’s call for international intervention.
Tunisia
Democracy in Tunisia: Façade or Reality? Economic volatility combined with disillusionment surrounding Tunisia’s democratic transition is placing increasing domestic pressure on Tunisian politicians.
Tunisia's New Regional Administrative Courts: What challenges lie ahead? With the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for 6 May 2018, twelve new administrative courts and sixty newly-appointed judges will play a key role in maintaining election integrity, in addition to their day-to-day functions.
الوجه الآخر للذاكرة: اغاني تونسية ضد الاحتلال الفرنسي Many popular Tunisian songs revolve around resisting French occupation. This article examines these revolutionary songs and poems.
جلسة صاخبة برلمان تونس واتهامات لرئيسه A noisy session of the Tunisian parliament faced troubles in attempting to extend a commission working on transitional justice, with the parliament divided over whether or not to support it and accusations flying between the Ennahda and Nidaa Tounes parties.
Western Sahara
Auction starts for seized Western Sahara phosphate cargo in S. Africa A Moroccan shipment of over 55,000 tons of phosphate from Western Sahara, which was seized off the coast of South Africa last year, went up for auction despite claims from the Polisario front that Moroccans illegally shipped the New Zealand-bound cargo.
UN presses on with bid to restart Western Sahara talks The UN Security Council expressed support for Horst Koehler’s attempts to restart peace talks with representatives from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front.
Human rights in occupied Western Sahara: Kohler on visit to region Questions loom over how the United Nations' Secretary General will present the situation of human rights as part of the annual report that will be submitted to the Security Council later this month, ahead of the vote to renew the peacekeeping mission in the region.
رئيس الجمهورية يترأس اجتماعا للمكتب الدائم للأمانة الوطنية Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, presided over a meeting of the National Secretariat marking the forty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the Polisario, as well as current issues facing Western Sahara.
رئيس الجمهورية يلفت انتباه الامين العام الامم المتحدة الى خطورة الوضع بمدينة الداخلة المحتلة Brahim Ghali sends a message to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, drawing attention to the use of violence by among Moroccan security forces against locals in Dakhla.
Maghreb region
The Maghreb's Fragile Edges The rural edges of the Maghreb, often neglected by the states and with poverty rates up to triple that of urban areas, face instability in the wake of discontent and uncertainty.
Newest from Jadaliyya
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.
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.
حراك الريف: النظام يراهن على الحسم الامني Following months of protests in Morocco’s northern Rif region, the regime’s security forces assert their dominance in managing the ongoing crisis through widespread arrests and repression.
'The King Is Good, the Political Class Is Bad': A Tired Myth Mounia Bennani-Chraibi challenges a leading discourse in Morocco that stigmatizes political parties while hailing King Mohammed VI’s offensives against them.