[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.]
Security
Threats Push Tunisia, Algeria to Strengthen Ties Robert Joyce, with input from Kal (the Moor Next Door) and Imad Mesdoua, outlines regional security stresses that make cooperation between Algeria and Tunisia mutually beneficial.
Pérégrination médiatique d’un Drone entre la Tunisie et l’Algérie. Baki 7our Mansour debunks media reports claiming the US was involved in a Tunisian drone flight.
Le Premier ministre algérien Abdelmalek Sellal en courte visite en Tunisie: La coopération sécuritaire au menu The Huffington Post Maghreb reports on Prime Minister Sellal’s visit to Tunisia.
Algeria
Video: Illegal dumping spoils Algerian tourist site The Algeria’s Special Envoys video team exposes continued illegal dumping in Algeria’s beautiful Kherrata Gorges, underscoring a larger indifference to environmental problems in the country.
La police algérienne, une dangereuse impunité Samir Allam believes that recent police brutality in Ghardaia is a sign that Algeria is on its way to becoming a police state.
Présidentielles: un compromis Bouteflika-ANP sur la candidature d’Abdelmalek Sellal se précise El Kadi Ihsane describes Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal’s position in the upcoming presidential elections.
Libya
A Deadly Mix in Benghazi Following months of investigation, David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times offers new insight into the searing case of the Benghazi attacks.
Libye : l’armée nationale ne marche pas encore au pas Marilyne Dumas describes the formation and training of the Libyan army.
Citizens Versus Lawmakers in Libya Mohamed Eljarh remembers Libya’s rocky road in 2013 and outlines challenges in 2014.
Why We’ll Never Stop Arguing About Benghazi Blake Hounshell profiles the enduring legacy of the Benghazi attacks in US media and politics.
Mauritania
A Modern-Day Abolitionist on Fighting Slave Power Joshua Keating interviews abolitionist Biram Dah Abeid.
Le grand accueil réservé à Biram à Nouakchott après son prix des Nations-Unis After receiving the UN Human Rights Prize, Biram Dah Abeid returns to much celebration in Mauritania.
Morocco
Microfinance in Morocco: At the Limits of ‘Social Business’ Mari Miyoshi highlights the disparities between rosy pictures of micro-finance as a solution to poverty and the experiences of those who receive microcredit loans.
Démocratie : Une ONG autrichienne classe le Maroc à la 97e place sur un total de 115 pays Austrian NGO Democracy Ranking published their annual report, placing Morocco in the ninety-seventh place out of 115. (Read the full report here: World Democracy Ranking.)
Zakaria Moumni raconte de vive voix la torture subie à Témara Boxer Zakaria Moumni describes his experiences in Temara’s prison, what he describes in this video as a torture center.
Budget royal. Le dernier tabou ! Fahd Iraqi outlines the royal budget and citizen contributions.
قافلة فنية لمحاربة الرشوة تحت شعار : لا للإفلات من العقاب An artistic caravan will be making a tour of Morocco in an anti-corruption effort.
Tunisia
Baratli, Hero of Independence and Enemy of Bourguiba, Dies at 86 Asma Smadhi profiles controversial figure Mohammed Salah Baratli, who died on 2 January.
Abolition de la peine de mort et démocratie en Tunisie Farhat Othman explains why he is against the abolition of the death penalty in Tunisia.
Tunisie: Bricolage du Règlement intérieur à la veille du débat sur la Constitution Monia Ben Hamadi describes the most recent round of proposed amendments to the constitution.
Western Sahara
Tensions high in Western Sahara despite new plan While Morocco has announced plans to boost economy and address human rights concerns in Western Sahara, tensions continue to mount.
Sahara Occidental : Y aura-t-il justice sans guerre? A Spanish film by Josep Lluis Penades explores the lives of young Sahrawis fighting for justice.
Les droits des Sahraouis doivent être respectés Kerry Kennedy and Javier Bardem implore the international community – particularly France and Spain – to support human rights monitoring in the Western Sahara.
Mil y un poemas saharauis Sahrawi poets living in Spain publish this collection of their poetry.
Recent Jadaliyya Articles on the Maghreb
ليبيا: دولة الميليشيات Wissam Mata describes the deteriorating state of security in Libya and portends a bleak outcome given increased decentralization of power to local armed militias.
Tunisia: A New Prime Minister for Old Politics? Stefano Maria Torelli profiles Tunisia’s new Prime Minister, Mehdi Jomaa.
New Texts Out Now: Samia Errazzouki, Working-Class Women Revolt: Gendered Political Economy in Morocco Jadaliyya interviews Maghreb Page editor Samia Errazzouki on her recent article in the North African Studies Journal.
After Mauritania’s Elections: Toward Reform or a Political Charade? Hassan Ould Moctar analyzes the latest round of elections in Mauritania.
Emel Mathlouthi at Cairo`s Qasr El Nil Theatre Jadaliyya culture and Madrar TV cover Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi at Cairo’s Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival.
Drug Trafficking in Northwest Africa: The Moroccan Gateway Abdelkader Abderrahmane examines the history of Morocco’s cannabis cultivation and its drug trade with Europe.
Implications of Morocco`s Bifurcated Educational System Yasmine El Baggari situates her own experiences as a student in the Moroccan educational system, caught between a colonial model and failed indigenous policies.
الثورة الجزائرية: محاورة الماضي Jadaliyya Reports on the anniversary of the Algerian Revolution with a series of articles and spotlight analyses.
Blasti – C’est ma place Jadaliyya Reports on a new Tunisian photography project that encourages women to use this medium to communicate about their relationship to their city.
الجزائر تلقي الحجاب Jadaliyya’s Arabic editors analyze the veil in Algeria as a symbol of anti-colonialism through excerpts from Franz Fanon.