[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
Appel au meurtre contre Kamel Daoud A Salafi imam called for the assassination of Kamel Daoud, an award winning journalist and novelist from Oran, after an appearance on the French channel France 2.
Bouteflika continue son tour d’Europe des hopitaux The medical plane for Algeria’s president was seen at a Paris hospital this week, reigniting concerns about Bouteflika’s health and the presidential succession.
Cartoon Captures Cafe Angst in Algeria as Oil Drops: Economy The declining price of oil is causing concern about public spending in one of the most oil-dependent countries in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
"We are all Kamel Daoud": Algerians rise up in solidarity with threatened novelist Algerians are rallying around literary figure Kamel Daoud after a radical cleric called for his assassination.
Penser est un péché, bientôt un crime El-Watan looks at what this “fatwa” against Daoud demonstrates about radicalism and the political establishment in Algeria.
Gay & Lesbian Mobilization in Algeria: the Emergence of a Movement Sarah Jean-Jacques looks at the taboo surrounding homosexuality and the rise of LGBT civil society groups that work at a domestic and international level.
Libya
Egyptian Involvement Sparked Libya Oil Port Battle, Expert Says Libya experts argue that Egypt’s meddling in the country’s armed conflict is aggravating divisions.
The Struggle To Define Normal in Post-Gaddafi Libya Elizabeth Allan describes the political and personal challenges that Libyans have experienced since the fall of long-time dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Libya’s embattled premier seeks support from UAE Abdullah Al-Thani, the prime minister chosen by the Tobruk based parliament, visited the United Arab Emirates this week to rally support and funding from gulf allies.
الثني: لا حوار مع من لا يعترف بشرعية البرلمان Libyan Prime Minister Abdullah Al-Thani asserts that talks with the opposition is contingent upon their recognition of the legitimacy of Parliament.
In Libya, Push for War Is Stronger Than Push for Peace Karim Mezran, resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, examines how international actors such as Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, and France are intensifying the various cleavages in Libya.
Libya: UN envoy in “intense consultations” to end political crisis, manage transition The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is actively pursuing meetings with political, tribal, and armed groups to facilitate a setting that bring all actors to the table.
Mauritania
Front Line Defenders concerned by lack of due process in legal proceedings against human rights defender Biram Dah Abeid Anti-slavery activists from the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) were arrested in November, and rights groups believe that they are being systematically denied the right to due process.
Mauritanian journalist re-arrested after argument with president Mauritanian journalist Abeh Lafdal was arrested for a second time after criticizing the president of corruption.
Mauritania Uses Mosques to Fight Slavery The Ministry of Religious Affairs has begun disseminating anti-slavery messages throughout mosques to fight some pro-slavery positions among the religious establishment in the country.
“Timbuktu,” Attention “Chef-d’oeuvre”? This new film by Mauritanian-Malian director Abderrahmane Sissako offers a more nuanced image of life in the Sahara and a strong critique of the radical Islamists that began taking over Northern Mali in 2012-2013.
Morocco
Abdellah Baha, le bras droit de Benkirane, est mort Telquel traces the rise of the Islamist Justice and Development Party (PJD) after State Minister and PJD leader Abdellah Baha was killed in a tragic train accident.
Frontières Maroc-Algérie : La course aux murailles électroniques ? Algeria’s efforts to secure its border with Morocco through increased surveillance and army troops have not helped to prevent smuggling and mobility; this is leading to a conversation in both countries about the benefits of a “sophisticated electronic system” along the border.
سابقة..محكمة مغربية تعتبر شعار "يا ملك الفقراء آجي تشوف الشفارة" جريمة The Moroccan government considers the slogan "Oh King of the Poor, come see the thieves" a crime.
Oujda : Hélicoptère et véhicules pour démanteler un campement de Subsahariens In spite of Morocco’s “new migration policy” police arrests and harassment of sub-Saharan communities around the border city of Oujda continue.
Morocco: Curbing Bribery in Government Hospitals A World Bank Report concludes that “at least on third of patients used bribes to obtain aspects of health care.”
Guich L’Oudaya. La predation foncière dans toute sa spendeur Over a hundred families in the Guich L’Oudaya community have been expelled from their collective land south of Rabat at the request of the Société d’aménagement Ryad (SAR), a subsidiary of the state-owned Caisse de dépot et de gestion (CDG), for real estate development around the wealthy Hay Riad district.
Al Hoceima : 2 homosexuels marocains condamnés à 3 ans de prison en un temps record A local elected official and his partner have been condemned to three years in prison for homosexual acts after a strangely expedited trial.
Tunisia
Why Tunisia succeeded where Egypt failed Mark LeVine compares the post-"Arab Spring" periods in Tunisia and Egypt, arguing that the presence of a strong human rights discourse in Tunisian politics has helped it establish a clearer path towards democracy.
Tunisia closes largest border point with Libya After violent clashes between General Khalifa Haftar’s forces and the Dawn of Libya group, Tunisia decided to close its major border crossing with Libya.
بين المرزوقي و السبسي: العياشي الهمامي والصغير أولاد أحمد .. لكلّ خياره وحججه Tunisian laywer Ayachi Hammami and poet Saghir Oulad Ahmed, both against the Ben Ali regime, are split in their support for the two Tunisian presidential candidates: Beji Caid Essebsi and Moncef Marzouki.
Tunisians prepare to choose next President in run-off elections Tunisians are set to choose between Nidaa Tounes party leader Essebsi and incumbent Marzouki on Sunday.
Le passeur d’âmes Sana Sbouai documents the incredible story of Père Jonathan, who helps find burial places for migrants that have died attempting to cross into Europe.
Western Sahara
A line in the sand: Fighting 40 years of exile in the desert of Western Sahara Photo journalist Tomasco Clavarino documents the Western Sahara struggle through special access to military bases and independence fighters.
Congress Strengthens Mandate for Development Funding in Western Sahara The US Congress 2015 Appropriations Bill includes an explicit stipulation on the availability of American aid “for assistance for the Western Sahara.”
Illegal Military Occupation in North Africa: Human Rights & Conflict Irresolution in the Western Sahara Erica Vasquez investigates the reasons behind the Western Sahara stalemate and why the world should pay more attention to the struggles of the Sahrawi people.
Resistance in Occupied Western Sahara: women defining a society Sahrawi women leaders and activists play a crucial role in mobilization efforts and communication among nonviolent actors across the Western Sahara.
10 Inspiring Saharawi Women You Never Heard Of The blog Saharawi Voice elucidates how these ten women activists shape mobilization against the occupation both at home and abroad.
Most recent articles from Jadaliyya’s Maghreb Page
New Texts Out Now: Isabelle Werenfels, Beyond Authoritarian Upgrading: The Re-Emergence of Sufi Orders in Maghrebi Politics Isabelle Werenfels talks to Jadaliyya about the top-down revival of Sufi orders and its relationship to politics in the Maghreb.
Even Morocco’s Friends Know Its Judicial System Is Corrupt and Lacking in Due Process Anna Jacobs analyzes a US federal court decision that rejected a Moroccan ruling, citing systemic corruption, a judicial system influence by the monarchy, and weak due process.
From Raqqa to Derna: Exceptionalism in Expansionism Evan Fowler explores the western narrative about the fall of Derna to ISIS and puts it in historical context.
The Quest for a Way Out of Tunisia’s Constitutional Quagmire Myriam Guetat studies the political and legal implications of Tunisia’s wave of legislative and executive elections.
Open Letter to the Organizing Committee of the World Forum for Human Rights in Morocco The Rabat branch of the 20 February Movement addresses its concerns about the international committee organizing the World Forum for Human Rights in Morocco. The English, French, and Arabic versions are all included.
Migration, Fisheries, and the Supremacy of European Interests in Mauritania Hassan Ould Moctar elucidates the asymmetries of power that mark negotiations over fishing and migration between Mauritania and the European Union.
An Open Letter to King Mohammed VI Moroccan journalist Hamza Mahfoud wrote this letter on 11 November 2014, in response to King Mohammed VI`s speech marking the anniversary of the Green March. The open letter was originally published in Arabic on Huna Sotak and translated to English by Abdellah Laaraj.
Tunisia: The Victory of Secularism over Islamism? Youssef Ben Ismail argues that teleological understandings of history and triumphalist narratives of secularism’s victory over Islamism obscure the real dynamics at play in the Tunisian socio-political scene.