Day: January 25, 2017

Lopsided Struggle for Power in Morocco

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The conflict over Morocco’s cabinet formation is a struggle for power between the PJD and the palace. A Four-party alliance led by billionaire Aziz Akhannouch voted on January 13 for Habib El Malki, a leader of the Socialist Union of Popular Forces (USFP), to become speaker of Morocco’s House of Representatives. The move was supported by the Party of Authenticity and Modernity (PAM), the Justice and Development Party’s (PJD) main rival, while PJD leader Abdelilah Benkirane strongly opposed Malki’s election, stressing it was a red line that “would force the…

Workshop on Libya’s security impact on neighbouring countries opens in Algiers

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The workshop on “the impact of Libya’s security situation on neighbouring countries’ border security” opened Wednesday at the headquarters of the African Centre for the Study and Research on Terrorism (ACSRT) in Algiers, with a view to improving the capacity of the African countries, especially Libya’s neighbours, to control their borders. The two-day workshop is intended for providing assistance to African Union (AU) members countries, mainly the countries which share borders with Libya, for a better control and management of their borders with that country, according to speakers at the…

UNIDO and partners to create more than 6,000 jobs for young people in Tunisia

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The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Italian Development Cooperation and the HP Foundation launched the second phase of UNIDO’s youth employment project. “Mashrou3i” (“My project” in Arabic) aims to create more than 6,000 jobs for young people in Tunisia over the next five years. Currently, in the governorates of Central, Southern and Northern Tunisia, around 40 per cent of young graduates are unable to find work. This situation is attributed to a range of factors, including the public sector’s limited capacity…

Transparency International : Tunisia takes some serious anti-corruption steps

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Despite the political changes that shook the Arab region six years ago, the hope for Arab countries to fight corruption and end impunity has not seen any progress yet. On the contrary, the majority of Arab countries have failed to fulfil the will of the people to build democratic systems allowing for greater transparency and accountability. The failure to fight corruption explains the sharp drop of most of Arab countries in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2016. 90 percent of these have scored below 50, which is a failing grade. The…

Viking Sea kickstarts La Goulette’s year

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Viking Sea’s maiden visit to La Goulette Cruise Terminal last week also signalled the first customer of the year for the Tunisian port. The ship was carrying almost 900 passengers, many of them North Americans who were greeted by Tunisia’s Cultural Minister and Tourism Minister and officials form the port authority and cruise terminal. Most went on Viking Cruises’ inclusive shorexs which included key attractions in Tunis: Carthage, Sidi Bou Said and the Bardo Museum;  and Zaghouan, a town located south of Tunis, famous for its roses, originally cultivated by…

Millennium Challenge Corporation Board of Directors Selects Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka, Tunisia for New Compacts

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At its quarterly meeting on December 13, 2016, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board of Directors selected Burkina Faso, Sri Lanka and Tunisia for new MCC compacts – five-year grants – to encourage economic growth and reduce poverty. For a country to be selected as eligible for MCC assistance, it must demonstrate a commitment to just and democratic governance, investments in its people, and economic freedom, as measured by third-party policy indicators on MCC’s annual scorecard.  “By partnering with developing countries that meet rigorous standards for good governance, from fighting…