[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
Algeria: North Africa’s Reluctant Policeman Maghreb and West Africa specialist Imad Mesdoua discusses the debate over Algeria’s increasingly important role in mitigating the security threat in North Africa and the Sahel regions.
Iran backs Algeria`s plan for national reconciliation in Libya Iran expresses its support for Algeria’s plan to hold Libya peace talks and invite “all major parties involved in the ongoing conflict.”
IS in Algeria: serious threat or publicity stunt? Jund El Khalifa, the violent jihadist group responsible for the beheading of French national Hervé Gourdel, and their alleged connection with Islamic State represents more of a strategic partnership for publicity rather than a regional security threat to North Africa.
L’absence de Bouteflika alimente la rumeur : Où est passé le Président ? Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has not been seen in public since 21 September and many are concerned about his health and who is currently running the country.
Où va l`Algérie après l`assassinat d`Hervé Gourdel ? Historian Malika Rahal writes for Le Monde on the assassination of Frenchman Hervé Gourdel within the context of Algeria`s recent past entangled with violence.
Libya
A new walled border for Algeria and Libya? Algeria and Libyan news sources have claimed that a 120 kilometer fence is being built along the border between the two countries after reports of after allegations that armed fighters from Libya were set to breach the south-east Algerian border.
In Tripoli, ordinary life must go on Christine Petré describes the difficulties and moments of respite for residents of the country’s capital city in the face of armed militias, rising food prices, power outages, and political instability.
Libyan political factions due to open talks Libya’s two rival governing assemblies, Toburk and Tripoli, are set to meet with the aim of resolving the country’s political crisis over representation.
Is It Too Late For Libya? Council on Foreign Relations interviews Tripoli-based journalist about the various cleavages that mark the current political crisis in Libya.
NGO: Dozens of Palestinians, Syrians found dead off Libya Dozens of refugees fleeing war and occupation in Syria and Palestine were found dead off the coast of Libya. Over three thousand migrants died in the first nine months of 2014 attempting to cross the Mediterranean by boat.
Mauritania
Les islamistes de Tawassoul réclament l`application du statut de l`opposition Mauritania’s Islamist opposition, the National Movement for Reform and Development (RNRD) are applying for official recognition as an opposition party.
Arrests & Violations against Protesters in Tifrit village by Security Forces Demonstrators took to the streets in Tifrit to protest the state dumping garbage in their village. Police aggressively stopped the peaceful protest and arrested four of the organizers, including a journalist at Radio Mauritania.
Travel Warning For U.S. Citizens In Mauritania The US Embassy in Nouakchott issued a warning to Americans to avoid Mauritania’s border areas because of an increased threat of kidnapping.
Morocco
Le Britannique gay libéré, le Marocain toujours en prison The British national found guilty of homosexual acts and sentenced to four months of prison has been released while Jamal, the Moroccan who faced the same charges, remains behind bars.
Benkirane: «les Occidentaux ne savent que donner des leçons» King Mohammed VI’s speech was given by Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane at the United Nations General Assembly session. It has been noted for its criticism of western financial institutions and unilateral notions of economic and social development, representing a change from country’s traditionally pro-western discourse.
My journey to rap, politics and prison El Haqed, “the enraged one,” is a Moroccan rapper, human rights activist, and government critic. In this op-ed written for Aljazeera English he describes his recent release from prison and the role of rap in political resistance.
La vérité sur la CDG, par Taoufiq Bouachrine Akhbar Alyoum’s editor-in-chief dissects the various corruption scandals that Morocco’s key financial institution is currently facing. The Deposit and Management Fund (CDG) is considered by some as a tool for corrupt Makhzen economic policy.
Murder of Senegalese migrant overshadows “radically new” politics of migration in Morocco Sebastien Bachelet analyzes the source of racist violence in Tangier and the struggle between civil society and state authorities about the nature of Morocco’s migration reform.
Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network condemns the harassment of human rights organizations and the repeated violations of the right to freedom of assembly EMHRN criticizes Morocco for its recent crackdown on the activities of some of its most independent human rights groups, including the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) and Amnesty International.
Nouveau financement de la Banque mondiale sur l’énergie solaire The World Bank has agreed to help finance the Noor solar energy complex, near the southern city of Ouarzazate. The sum is around 519 million dollars, or 4.5 billion dirhams.
برلمانيون بريطانيون "يقاطعون" المغرب بسبب اعتقال سائح "مثلي A British member of Parliament calls for a boycott of Morocco after arrest of British national on charges of homosexual acts.
Tunisia
Mohamed Ali, Amina et Hichem : 1023 dinars par mois Inkyfada shows the effect of Tunisia’s transition on everyday families and their budgets.
Tunisian youths at forefront of Syria militant fighters Tunisia’s young people are feeling more marginalized than ever. Around three thousand Tunisians have gone to Syria to join militants since the civil war began in 2011.
Unpleasantly Familiar Faces in Tunisia Former members of the Ben Ali regime have announced their candidacy for Tunisia’s upcoming presidential elections in November.
Tunisia Prepares For Its Ultimate Democratic Ordeal Tunisia’s parliamentary and presidential elections are focused on ensuring high turnout and mitigating the threat of militant groups looking to jeopardize the process.
12 millions de dinars pour le financement public des campagnes législatives 2014 Public financing for the parliamentary elections are at an all-time high in Tunisia, with the highest percentage going to the Sousse district.
Western Sahara
US oil company set to violate international law in Western Sahara Kosmos Energy and Cairn Energy, American and British oil and gas firms respectively, are ready to begin oil exploration off the coast of the Western Sahara without the permission of its residents, which violates international law according to Sahrawi representatives.
A permanent crisis in the desert The Sahrawi refugees face unique and difficult challenges compared to other groups, especially in their relationship with aid organizations.
Torture and death: a political prisoner`s story in Western Sahara Hassana al-Wali, a Sahrawi political prison and human rights activist in the Western Sahara, died in a military hospital in Dakhla on 27 September after a hunger strike. Moroccan authorities then arrested six other activists who protested his arrest and mistreatment.
Most Recent Articles from Jadaliyya’s Maghreb Page
New Texts Out Now: Andrea Khalil, Crowds and Politics in North Africa: Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya Andrea Khalil discusses her new book with Jadaliyya, which examines the theoretical conceptions of crowds and politics in Tunisia, Algeria, and Libya during the period between 2011-2012.
Morocco`s Mawazine Festival: Exposing Class Tensions and Social Unrest The international music festival in Morocco highlights the problems with the country’s narrative of exceptionalism and the increasing gap between Morocco’s international image and the socioeconomic troubles that its residents face.
A Voyage to Toledo: Twenty-Five Years After the `Jews of the Orient and Palestinians` Meeting The 1989 Toledo conference marked a courageous attempt at Arab-Israel peace pre-Oslo, which was largely ignored in popular media. This was one of the earliest attempts to challenge Israel’s rejection of Palestinian identity and demonstrated the important role of Jewish communities in Middle Eastern countries like Morocco in the early years of the peace process.
Algeria’s Jewish Past-Present Sarah Abrevaya Stein examines the North African Jewish past and how it is used in Algerian politics today.
حوار مع القيادية اليسارية المغربية نعيمة الكلاف Brahim El Guabli interviews Morocco’s leading leftist activist Naima Al Guallaf.
Djerba, Tunisia: Garbage Disposal, the Environmental Crisis, and the Awakening of Ecoconsciousness Rania Said explains the importance of Djerba’s campaign and strike against the government’s disregard for the problem of garbage disposal on the Tunisian Island.