Day: November 30, 2016

State Department Terrorist Designations of Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich

BGMN

In a recent press released, U.S  Department of State has designated Abdullah Ahmed al-Meshedani, Basil Hassan, and Abdelilah Himich as Specially Designated Global Terrorists. As regards Abdelilah Himich the press release underlined that Abdelilah Himich, also known as Abu Sulayman al-Faransi, is a senior foreign terrorist fighter and external operations figure for the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) and SDGT group, ISIL. Himich created the Tariq Ibn Ziyad Battalion in 2015, a European foreign terrorist fighter cell that has provided operatives for ISIL attacks in Iraq, Syria, and abroad; at one…

Tunisia raises 34 billion dinars in Investment Conference (Youssef Chahed)

BGMN

“Investments of around 34 billion dinars were raised at the international investment conference “Tunisia 2020”, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said at a press conference at the closing of this event held at the Convention Centre in Tunis. Chahed stressed that these investments are divided between 15 billion dinars, in the form of signed agreements and 19 billion dinars in commitments. The Prime Minister welcomed the success of the conference, which was attended by political decision-makers and businessmen representing major international companies. He praised the efforts of President Beji Caïd Essebsi…

PSA/Stafim to establish Peugeot assembly plant in Tunisia

BGMN

PSA Group and Stafim, Peugeot’s long-term partner in Tunisia, have signed a letter of intent to assemble and sell a Peugeot pickup truck in Tunisia. The planned plant will start operations in mid-2018, producing 1,200 units annually to meet local demand. PSA said: “This agreement falls within the core model strategy of the ‘Push to Pass’ organic profitable growth plan, demonstrating the group’s intention to build its presence in the pick-up segment.” At the Tunisia 2020 International Conference on investment held in Tunis, with Béji Caïd Essebsi, president of Tunisia and Manuel…

PSA/Stafim to establish Peugeot assembly plant in Tunisia

BGMN

PSA Group and Stafim, Peugeot’s long-term partner in Tunisia, have signed a letter of intent to assemble and sell a Peugeot pickup truck in Tunisia. The planned plant will start operations in mid-2018, producing 1,200 units annually to meet local demand. PSA said: “This agreement falls within the core model strategy of the ‘Push to Pass’ organic profitable growth plan, demonstrating the group’s intention to build its presence in the pick-up segment.” At the Tunisia 2020 International Conference on investment held in Tunis, with Béji Caïd Essebsi, president of Tunisia and Manuel…

Ennahdha’s Ghannouchi ‘to mediate between Gaddafi-loyalists and Islamists’

BGMN

Ennahdha leader Rached Ghannouchi has reportedly been approached by Gaddafi loyalists to help mend ties with Islamists in the Libyan capital Tripoli. According to Tunisian sources have told The New Arab website, the head of the Tunisia’s formerly Islamist party Ennahdha has been approached by Gaddafi loyalists to help mend ties with Islamists in the Libyan capital Tripoli. The New Arab added that the sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said on Tuesday that Rached Ghannouchi had recently met with a delegation of “acceptable Gaddafi-affiliated figures” to discuss…

Tunisia’s (olive) oil rush

BGMN

Demand for north African oil is growing, much to the annoyance of the big players in Europe. TEBOURBA, Tunisia — Hidden behind the Mahjoub olive press, a row of millstones traces the long history of olive oil production in this corner of northern Africa. At one end, there are the stones used by five generations of the Mahjoub family: flat, heavy discs at least a meter across, made of granite or volcanic rock. At the other lie cylinders of rough-hewn rock, which crushed olives when Tunisia lay within the province…

Lives of International Students: Akrem Hamami — Tunisia

BGMN

The following is part of a series detailing the experiences of international students at the University of Alberta. Given that these students face separation from family, paying more than $20,000 in tuition per year, and uncertainty when it comes to rising tuition costs, we are sitting down with some of these individuals to talk about their experiences at the university. Third-year education student Akrem Hamami thought he was going to become a solar panel engineer in Tunisia. But in 2013, the third year of his renewable energies engineering program, he…

The Carthage Agreement Under Scrutiny

BGMN

Tunisia’s national unity government symbolizes political elites’ willingness to cooperate, but their fragile compromise poses risks to the democratic process. In summer 2016, President Beji Caid Essebsi oversaw a process to produce a “government of national unity” that would, it was hoped, stabilize Tunisia. This process was formalized in July 2016 through the Carthage Agreement. It had its first tangible effects on July 30, when Prime Minister Habib Essid asked the parliament for a vote of confidence, which failed, leading to his dismissal and replacement by Youssef Chahed. On August…