After Morocco, Tunisia Looks to Join ECOWAS

Tunisia is following in the footsteps of Morocco, setting its sights on joining the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The announcement was made on August 22 by the Tunisian Head of Government Youssef Chahed during the Tunisian africain empowerment. According to the French magazine Jeune Afrique, ECOWAS is due to decide on whether to accept Tunisia’s membership during the organization’s conference in Lomé, Togo, scheduled for December. The event will mark the participation of Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi. During the regional African bloc’s recent conference in Monrovia,…

Tunisia: Dispute Between Parties Delays Ministerial Amendment

Tunisia- Stances expressed by Ennahdha Party and Al Nidaa Party have revealed a huge difference in points of view towards the ministerial amendment that was announced by Prime Minister of Tunisia Yousef El-Shahed, before he delayed its implementation later on. The ministerial amendment has been proposed since April when Shahed dismissed ministers of education, finance and investment. Reliable sources stated that Shahed hasn’t yet finalized the ideal figures to replace the three sacked ministers because of the considerable number of candidacies and pressure from opposition parties. Points of views regarding…

Turkey mulls action against Egyptian preacher for attacking Tunisia’s Essebsi

In a video, Istanbul-based Wagdy Ghoneim attacked President Essebsi for urging ‘gender equality, equal inheritance rights’ in Tunisia. Turkey announced on Friday that it would consider legal action against Istanbul-based Egyptian preacher Wagdy Ghoneim for remarks he made against Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. The move came after Tunisia on Thursday summoned the Turkish ambassador to protest against remarks made by Ghoneim in a widely circulated video in which he attacked Essebsi for demanding “full gender equality, including equal inheritance rights for women” in Tunisia. Essebsi’s comments came in a speech…

Washington Post: U.S. should send withheld Egypt aid to Tunisia

The Trump administration has surprised Egypt’s autocratic government by delaying or diverting nearly $300 million in U.S. aid. It’s an appropriate response to the most severe repression in the Arab country’s modern history and to the regime’s collaboration with North Korea. But for those who believe that President Donald Trump has suddenly lost his affection for Egyptian strongman Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, some perspective is necessary: The actions were largely forced by congressional legislation, and they are unlikely to have much effect unless there is follow-up in the next federal budget. Congress…

Tunis conference on Med migration, ‘Reality and Challenges’

A three-day conference with debates in Tunis on September 22-24 will seek to inform the public on the situation in southern Mediterranean countries heavily affected by migration. Tunisia, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt will all be discussed, as countries of departure, transit and destination. The legal position of migrants of refugees in these countries will also be discussed and stock will be taken of the agreements signed with some of them, to assess the consequences as well as share experiences and opinions. The conference, entitled ‘Migratory Movements Around the Mediterranean,…

Tunisia’s oil production down due to protests, claims trade union official

A Tunisian trade union official confirmed on Wednesday that crude oil production in the country has fallen by 52 per cent recently due to protests in the areas where the oil fields are located. Hasnaoui Smiri, the Secretary General of the Federation of Petrochemicals at the Tunisian General Labour Union — the largest union in Tunisia — said that production has gone down to 22,000 barrels per day, from 46,000 barrels during the first five months of this year. In an interview with Anadolu at the end of a trade union event…

Tunisia’s heritage sites stay empty, even as tourism picks up

Foreign visitors may now be returning to the country after the Arab Spring and ISIL-claimed attacks, but many say the government is failing to make the most of the country’s history  Bulla Regia in north-west Tunisia is one of the country’s most important archaeological sites.Famous for its partially underground Roman houses, designed to protect their inhabitants from the heat, the ruins are also home to remarkably well-preserved Roman mosaics. Yet on the day Salah Massai and his wife, Jessica, visit Bulla Regia, they are the only people there. “If this site was in Greece,…

Tunisia’s economic challenges: are they insurmountable?

While the Tunisian government is drafting the country’s next budget, Fadhel Abdelkefi, its interim Finance Minister, who heads up the ministry of investment and international cooperation resigned (August 18, 2017) due to an ongoing conflict with the Tunisian customs service.  The very same day, however, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded Tunisia’s long-term rating from Ba3 to B1, and maintained its negative outlook. Moody’s also downgraded other areas of the Tunisian economy, including the Central Bank’s foreign currency debt rating. These blows to the Tunisian economy are taking place amid a crisis…

Laptop ban lifted on Tunisia flights

The UK government has lifted the laptop ban on inbound flights from Tunis’ Carthage International airport. Tunis airport becomes the second airport after Turkey’s Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen to have the ban on larger mobile devices, including laptops and tablets, completely lifted on all inbound flights to the UK. Although some individual airlines flying from other affected airports have also had the laptop ban lifted on their flights to the UK. The British government said it had been working with airlines to “introduce tough additional security measures” over the last few months. It…

Tunisia launches new national employment strategy

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed announced yesterday, the official launch of a new national employment strategy. In press statements from the capital Tunis Chahed said that employment is a top priority, ” since it is one of the rudiments of the country’s development”. The strategy will be developed in partnership with the government and the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA). During the post revolution years Tunisia has suffered from increasing unemployment rates in the country caused by a decline in the…