https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 en-GB Middle East Monitor 30 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/favicon.png?fit=32%2C32&quality=85&strip=all&zoom=1&ssl=1 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com 32 32 116394717 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-31-missing-after-2-migrant-boats-sink-off-italy/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:49:02 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658261 More than 30 people are missing after two boats carrying migrants sank off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa over the weekend. According to the UN migration agency, IOM, survivors who were on one of the boats spoke about 28 people who were on a boat with them and are now missing. Three other migrants were reported missing from the second boat. IOM spokesman Flavio Di Giacomo told AFP that his organisation believes there are at least 30 missing based on testimonies from survivors. An investigation into the tragedy has been opened in the city of Agrigento on the island of Sicily. Agrigento police chief Emanuele Rechevari said the smugglers no doubt knew the waves would be rough as a storm […]]]> 658261 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230804-noc-eni-bp-and-sonatrach-lift-force-majeure-and-resume-exploration-in-libya-oilfields/ Fri, 04 Aug 2023 16:31:16 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658055 Three of the biggest foreign energy companies operating in Libya have lifted force majeure and resumed exploration in the country's oilfields, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced today, local Libyan news outlet reports. According to the report, NOC said it received "official notifications from the Italian company, Eni, and the British company, British Petroleum, regarding the lifting of force majeure and the resumption of exploration and contractual obligations in the blocks awarded to them in the Ghadames Basin (A-B) and offshore Block C." "The NOC also confirmed receiving an official notification from the Algerian company, Sonatrach, regarding the lifting of force majeure and the resumption of exploration and fulfilment of contractual obligations in blocks 065 and 96/95 in the Ghadames […]]]> 658055 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-lebanon-extradites-suspected-drug-dealer-to-italy/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 18:28:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657946 Lebanon, on Thursday, handed over to Italy a suspected Italian drug dealer arrested weeks ago near the capital, Beirut, the Italian police said, Anadolu Agency reports. Sought with an international arrest warrant, Bruzzaniti was arrested while he was having dinner at a restaurant in the city of Jounieh. He is accused of being responsible for the smuggling of around two tons of cocaine a month from South America to Italy. He was a fugitive since October last year, when Italian police arrested more than 30 people accused of being part of a criminal group responsible for the smuggling of tons of cocaine from South America to the southern Italian region of Calabria, a stronghold of 'Ndrangheta', an Italian organised crime […]]]> 657946 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-brazil-president-supports-accession-of-saudi-arabia-uae-to-brics/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 11:41:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657845 Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has expressed his support for more countries joining the BRICS group. Lula said in the capital, Brasilia, yesterday that he supports countries such as Argentina, Saudi Arabia and the UAE joining the group. BRICS, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is due to hold a summit in Johannesburg from 22-24 August. He also described the seven leading industrialised countries as a "club" that should not exist, considering that its form in terms of geopolitical affairs is outdated. The UK, US, France, Italy, Japan, Canada and Germany make up the group of Western industrialised countries, known as the G7. Some 22 countries have "formally" asked to join the BRICS group, while […]]]> 657845 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-italy-releases-migrant-rescue-boat/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 09:31:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656943 The migrant rescue boat Louise Michel is back at sea after being impounded in the Italian port of Lampedusa in March. Yesterday, the crew responded to a distress call by 41 people – including a baby – who were adrift in the Mediterranean Sea. Their boat had left the Tunisian port town of Sfax with a second boat which was rescued by the Italian coastguard, but this vessel was left drifting at sea. Reports have made global headlines in recent weeks that hundreds of people are gathering in Sfax to escape across the Mediterranean in search of safety. Tunisian authorities have been rounding up black African migrants, beating them and dumping them in the desert. In February Tunisian President Kais Saied […]]]> 656943 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-eu-irregular-arrivals-up-10-in-first-half-of-2023/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:22:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656680 Irregular immigration into the European Union rose ten per cent in the first half of 2023 compared to a year ago, the bloc's border agency said today, with Mediterranean routes accounting for most of the arrivals. Frontex reported 132,370 attempts to get into the EU outside of regular border crossings from the start of the year until the end of June, saying that was ten per cent more than the same period in 2022. It said central Mediterranean crossings were up more than a third and accounted for half the overall number as arrivals from Tunisia to Italy grew. Traffic on all the other routes into the EU was down from the first half of 2022. Earlier this month, the […]]]> 656680 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-italy-and-turkiye-join-forces-in-effort-to-host-euro-2032/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:25:43 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656101 UEFA confirms that it has received a request from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) to merge their individual bids into one joint bid to host UEFA EURO 2032, Reuters reports. According to the report, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has announced that their bid to host Euro 2032 will now be a joint bid along with Turkiye. In 2021, UEFA initiated a bidding process for the hosting of two consecutive editions of its European Championship, in 2028 and 2032. TFF entered the process for both editions, while FIGC decided to bid only for the 2032 edition. A joint bid to host the 2028 edition has also been placed by five associations: England, Northern Ireland, […]]]> 656101 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-italys-pm-criticises-predecessors-approach-towards-egypt/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 14:15:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655193 Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticised the strategy adopted by her predecessors in dealing with Egypt over the murder of Giulio Regeni in Cairo in early 2016. According to Russia Today's Arabic news website, Meloni said in radio statements yesterday that the strategy previously adopted by left-wing governments was wrong, as condescending attitudes towards the Egyptian government makes it difficult to obtain results. "The difference is that the [current] government's approach is not condescending at all. We treat each other as equals with mutual respect. This new approach has resulted in an opening with Egypt," she said in a possible hint at the reasons for the release of human rights researcher Patrick George Zaki. A presidential pardon issued by Egyptian […]]]> 655193 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-algeria-calls-for-development-strategy-to-solve-irregular-migration/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:34:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654969 Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has called to adopt a comprehensive development vision in countries experiencing an exodus of migrants as the only solution to the phenomenon of irregular migration which he said is affecting North African countries as much as Europe. In a speech read by Prime Minister Aimene Benabderrahmane in Rome on Sunday, Tebboune said while the security treatment of the migration file responds to the urgent need to maintain public order and combat smuggling and human trafficking networks, it does not contribute to addressing this phenomenon in a sustainable manner. Comprehensive solutions that guarantee stability, advance development dynamics and create job opportunities for youth in source countries are the only solutions, he said. Tebboune also called for "North-South […]]]> 654969 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-migrants-at-greater-risk-of-abuse-after-ill-judged-eu-tunisia-deal-experts-warn/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 18:30:24 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654843 In mid-July, the EU finalised a much-anticipated agreement with Tunisia to cooperate on curbing a surge in migration flows to Europe's Mediterranean shores, but international law experts and humanitarian groups warn that the €1 billion ($1.11 billion) deal could lead to severe rights violations instead of helping solve complex issues. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – signed after a crucial meeting between EU Commission head, Ursula von der Leyen, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Tunisian President Kais Saied – Brussels agreed to give Tunis financial and technical support to "deter" Europe-bound migration, which has been increasingly originating from Tunisian shores. According to the few details made public, the deal aims to prevent migrants […]]]> 654843 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230724-italy-offers-aid-to-libya-to-limit-illegal-migration-to-europe/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 17:10:25 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654879 Italy announced aid to Libya and Niger to establish projects aimed at "limiting the arrival of illegal migrants to Italian shores", Reuters reports. According to the report, Head of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohammed Al-Menfi, and head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdulhamid Al-Dbeibah, were on a scheduled visit to Italy on Saturday to attend the International Conference on Development and Migration, organised by Italian Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani. The FM announced the allocation of 8.5 million Euros ($9.5 million) to three projects in Libya and 7.5 million Euros ($8.3 million) to three projects in Niger, the report added. A statement by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the aid will help train local authorities in improving […]]]> 654879 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230723-italy-pm-meloni-says-illegal-migrant-flows-damage-all-nations/ Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:47:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654644 Illegal flows of migrants are damaging all countries across the Mediterranean, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sunday, as she called on nations to fight together against human traffickers, Reuters reports. In contrast with her past hard-line rhetoric, Meloni told an international conference in Rome that her government was open to taking in more people through legal routes as "Europe and Italy needed immigration." "Mass illegal immigration harms each and every one of us. No one benefits from this, except criminal groups who get rich at the expenses of the most fragile and use their strength even against the governments," she said. Earlier this month, Italy pledged to issue 452,000 new work visas for non-EU nationals from 2023 to […]]]> 654644 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-italy-migration-conference-aims-to-stem-flows-by-helping-africa/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 17:52:18 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654398 Mediterranean and Middle East countries will meet in Rome on Sunday to boost efforts to stem illegal migration flows, with Italy saying the aim is to help countries in Africa in order to reduce the impetus for migrants to reach Europe, Reuters reports. The meeting will focus on building partnership for projects in sectors including agriculture, infrastructure and health, an Italian government statement said on Friday. "The conference aims to govern the migration phenomenon, combat human trafficking and promote economic development according to a new model of cooperation between states," the statement said. Planned participants include Tunisia, Turkiye, Libya, Algeria and the United Arab Emirates, along with the European Union and the IMF, Italian officials told Reuters. However France, a […]]]> 654398 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230721-irish-activist-continues-his-2200-miles-walk-to-palestine/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 12:58:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654339 A sixty-five-year-old Irish activist, who set off to Palestine from Calais to raise awareness about the plight of refugees and human rights violations in the Occupied Territories, reached the Albanian port city of Durres on Saturday. Mick Bowman crossed France, Switzerland and Italy to reach Albania last week and will continue to walk through Greece, Turkiye and Jordan to reach the Occupied West Bank in Palestine. He began the 2,200-mile journey from Calais on 16 April last month. "Now half-way through my walk to Palestine, I've also had the opportunity in the three countries I passed through, to have many conversations about the great injustice faced by the Palestinians. I got to speak with fellow pilgrims when I was walking […]]]> 654339 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-egypt-releases-patrick-zaki-following-presidential-pardon/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 14:45:23 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654163 Italian- Egyptian rights researcher, Patrick Zaki, was released today after Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi issued a presidential pardon for him and Mohamed El-Baqer, a lawyer who represented detained activist Alaa Abdel Fattah. Zaki's release comes after a three-year battle which has seen him in and out of detention, according to Hossam Bahgat, the director of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). READ: Egypt President pardons detained researcher Patrick Zaki On Tuesday, Zaki was sentenced to three years in prison by an emergency court on charges of publishing false news over an article he wrote about the plight of Egypt's Christians. In a video post on Twitter, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Zaki in due back in Italy tomorrow […]]]> 654163 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-un-experts-urge-tunisia-to-stop-forcible-expulsion-of-black-african-migrants/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:53:27 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654082 UN experts have this week raised concern about Tunisia's allegedly discriminatory treatment of sub-Saharan migrants, and urged the authorities to take urgent measures to stop collective expulsions and protect the human rights of all migrants. "Collective expulsions are prohibited under international law," they said. "Deporting migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers without conducting an individual and objective risk assessment of their exposure to human rights violations upon return amounts to refoulement, prohibited under international human rights law." The experts contacted the Tunisian Government in March, expressing concern at reports of racist treatment of sub-Saharan migrants and collective expulsions targeting sub-Saharan migrants, as well as of violence and racist hate speech by officials and law enforcement. "We call on the authorities to immediately […]]]> 654082 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230719-egypt-president-pardons-detained-researcher-patrick-zaki/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 17:39:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653837 Egypt's President, Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, has pardoned rights researcher, Patrick Zaki, a day after he was handed a three-year prison term, the state news agency said on Wednesday as news of his case spread widely in Italy where he had been studying, Reuters reports. The decision by Sisi followed reactions to Zaki's sentencing by Italy's Prime Minister and the US State Department, as well as an appeal by the head of Egypt's national dialogue, a state-controlled initiative to debate the country's future. Sisi's pardon also included Mohamed El-Baqer, a lawyer who represented detained activist, Alaa Abdel Fattah, and was arrested in 2019 while attending his client's interrogation. Zaki, a researcher at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR), was sentenced on […]]]> 653837 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-tunisia-democracy-activists-criticise-italian-involvement/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 08:23:20 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652587 The general coordinator of the Swiss Initiative to Support Democracy in Tunisia has criticised President Kais Saied and his involvement with the Italian government led by right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. "Meloni is only focusing on migration and is pushing Saied to play the role of a regional policeman to protect the Italian and EU border," said Anouar Gharbi. "This encourages Saied to continue to repress the Tunisian people, media, judges, lawyers, politicians and human rights activists." Meloni and her government, he added, are seeking the best option for them. "They should not be allowed to pay the current isolated regime in Tunisia to do Rome's dirty work." According to Gharbi, the Tunisian people are not selling their country and […]]]> 652587 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230716-libyas-sharara-oilfield-resumes-production-after-release-of-ex-minister/ Sun, 16 Jul 2023 11:02:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652526 Libya said Sunday that production from two oil fields south of the country has resumed after the release of a former finance minister, reports Anadolu Agency. Production at El-Sharara and El-Feel oil fields was shut on Thursday following the detention of former Finance Minister Faraj Boumtari. Local tribesmen have demanded Boumtari's release to allow production from the two oilfields to resume. In a statement, the Libyan Oil Ministry confirmed that production from the two oilfields has resumed. Local tribesmen said that the move came after Bumatari, who hails from the al-Zawi tribe in southeastern Libya, walked free Saturday afternoon from detention in Tripoli. READ: There will be war if oil revenues are not split fairly in Libya El-Sharara oilfield produces […]]]> 652526 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230714-italy-calls-for-resumption-of-peace-process-amid-tensions-between-israel-palestine/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 13:14:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652339 Italy called, Thursday, for the resumption of the peace process amid tensions between Israel and Palestine, saying recent violent incidents in the region serve as evidence of the unsustainability of the status quo, Anadolu Agency reports. Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, held a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Eli Cohen, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome. Italy's relations with Israel are based on friendship and solidarity, according to a statement issued by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the meeting. READ: Libya joins Italy to work against irregular migration  The statement underlined that, in addition to strong political ties, Israel is a strategic partner for Italy in areas such as agriculture, food, biotechnology, cyber security, artificial intelligence, space and […]]]> 652339 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230713-life-for-black-people-in-tunisia-5-months-after-the-presidents-racist-speech-has-been-incredibly-challenging/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 14:00:36 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652086 When Tarek Tookebry began raising funds to collect essential items for a humanitarian convoy to Tunisia's second city, Sfax – where black Africans are being increasingly attacked and deported – the initial goal was to raise 10,000 Tunisian dinars ($3,300). As of Wednesday 12 July, Humetna, an NGO based in Medjez El Bab, has raised over 47,000 TD ($15,500). "This level of support demonstrates the compassion and solidarity of Tunisians towards the cause, and it affirms that there is a significant portion of the population who stand against the discriminatory treatment faced by sub-Saharan African and black individuals," says Tarek, who is director of the organisation. Sfax is an industrial hub in southern Tunisia and a major port town. It […]]]> 652086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-libya-joins-italy-to-work-against-irregular-migration/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 09:42:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651618 The head of the Libyan National Unity Government, Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh, stressed yesterday the need to unite efforts between his country and Italy to combat irregular migration. Dbeibeh made his comment during a meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Libya, Gianluca Alberini. "There are deep relations between the two countries," said Dbeibeh. "We need to activate the results of my recent visit to Rome regarding the convening of the Italian-Libyan Economic Forum and to unify efforts to combat irregular migration." Dbeibeh visited Italy on 7 June where he met Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, with whom he discussed irregular migration from Libya towards Europe. Alberini explained that the Italian Embassy is making efforts to increase the number of visas and contribute […]]]> 651618 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-new-probes-contradicts-greek-coastguard-account-migrant-tragedy/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 13:40:53 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651416 A new investigation by the Guardian and others has found that attempts by the Greek coastguard in June to tow a boat carrying roughly 750 refugees which capsized leaving only 104 survivors may have caused the vessel to sink. Most of the passengers were from Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Pakistan. Nine of the survivors have been arrested on charges of involuntary manslaughter, causing a shipwreck and migrant smuggling and have denied the charges. On 14 June the fishing trawler left Egypt, picked up passengers in Libya, and then tried to sail to Italy before sinking off the coast of Greece. At the end of June, survivors told Greek judicial officials that the coastguard made a disastrous attempt to tow the overloaded trawler and one even shouted at the coastguard to […]]]> 651416 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-ex-tottenham-coach-conte-in-morocco-for-family-vacation/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 11:45:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651370 Former professional footballer and former head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, Antonio Conte, arrived in Morocco to spend his summer vacation with his family this week. Conte, his wife Elisabetta and teenage daughter Vittoria chose the Moroccan coastal city of Agadir to spend part of their summer vacation. According to the local Agadir TV website, the Italian coach accompanied visited a number of tourist attractions in the city, including Agadir Beach, where citizens gathered around him to take photos. The site added that Conte shared with his social media followers pictures of his visit to the commercial complex, Souk El-Ahad in Agadir, in which he appeared with his wife and daughter, as they toured the market and purchased a number […]]]> 651370 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-countries-repatriating-gold-in-wake-of-sanctions-against-russia-study/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 14:43:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651076 An increasing number of countries are repatriating gold reserves as protection against the sort of sanctions imposed by the West on Russia, according to an Invesco survey of Central Bank and sovereign wealth funds published on Monday, Reuters reports. The financial market rout last year caused widespread losses for sovereign money managers who are "fundamentally" rethinking their strategies on the belief that higher inflation and geopolitical tensions are here to stay. Over 85 per cent of the 85 sovereign wealth funds and 57 Central Banks that took part in the annual Invesco Global Sovereign Asset Management Study believe that inflation will now be higher in the coming decade than in the last. Gold and emerging market bonds are seen as […]]]> 651076 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230710-dbeibeh-italy-to-lift-air-embargo-on-libya/ Mon, 10 Jul 2023 13:01:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651037 Italy will lift its air embargo on Libya in September, the head of the Tripoli-based government Abdul Hamid Dbeibeh said yesterday, Anadolu news agency reported. "The Italian government informed us of its decision to lift its air embargo that was imposed on Libya ten years ago," Dbeibeh said in a statement. "Flights will resume next September," he added. There was no comment from the Italian authorities on Dbeibeh's statements. Last month, Dbeibeh held talks in Rome with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on lifting Rome's air embargo on the country's civil aviation. The European Commission banned flights from Libya in 2014 amid chaos and conflict in the country. Since then, successive Libyan governments have attempted to lift the European embargo, but the […]]]> 651037 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-pope-francis-migrant-deaths-at-sea-a-shame/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:31:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650635 Pope Francis said on Saturday that it was a "shame" that irregular migrants trying to reach Europe for a safe and better life were dying at sea, reports Anadolu Agency. In a letter to the archbishopric of the Italian island of Lampedusa, Francis said tragedy had befallen migrants many times recently in the Mediterranean Sea. "In these days when we are witnessing the repetition of serious tragedies in the Mediterranean, we are shaken by the silent massacres in front of which we still remain helpless and astonished," said the letter, marking the 10th anniversary of the pontiff's first visit to the island, a frequent destination for migrants using the Central Mediterranean route from North Africa. READ: Rights group urges Tunisia […]]]> 650635 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230708-palestinian-youth-choir-sings-in-italy-while-mourning-the-deaths-of-palestinians-in-jenin/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 16:02:39 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650604 Palestine's Amwaj Choir took to the stage across Italy over the past two weeks, with performances continuing in spite of Israel's deadly raid on the Jenin refugee camp earlier this week. "It's challenging to live a beautiful moment, doing amazing music and we cannot forget. It doesn't mean if we sing, we forget," Production Coordinator Aleen Masoud told MEMO following Wednesday's recital in Santa Maria Church, Castelnuovo di Porto. Amwaj Choir Co-Founder, Michelle Cantoni, also emphasised the sorrow felt in Italy after Israel's deadly attack on Jenin in which at least 12 Palestinians were killed – four under the age of 18 – and 80 per cent of homes were damaged. "What happened in Jenin in the last two days is something that made many of us cry. It […]]]> 650604 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230707-the-emperor-and-the-elephant-christians-and-muslims-in-the-age-of-charlemagne/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 19:58:13 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650479 Charlemagne, the 8th century Frankish King, holds a near-mythical status in European history. He is widely regarded as a stalwart defender of Christendom against an expanding Islamic realm. Additionally, his role as a unifier of Europe has solidified his reputation as the "Father of Europe". By successfully uniting significant portions of Western Europe, he accomplished a feat not achieved since the decline of the Roman Empire. This enduring legacy has persisted to the present day. That his grandfather, Charles Martel, won a decisive victory against Muslim forces in present-day southern France at the Battle of Tours in 732 CE, has also added to his distinguished pedigree. This enduring legacy of the Carolingians (the dynasty consisting of Martel's descendants) has often […]]]> 650479 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230706-families-of-missing-in-greece-migrant-boat-disaster-plead-for-recovery-of-bodies/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 21:00:11 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650201 Since Matloob Hussain from Pakistan went missing during a deadly shipwreck off Greece last month, his brother, Adil, has left the door of his Athens home open in the hope he appears. It will stay open until his body is found. Matloob, 43, is among hundreds of migrants from Pakistan, Syria and Egypt who are presumed dead after their overcrowded fishing trawler, that set sail from Libya for Italy, sank off the coast of Pylos in international waters on 14 June. A total of 104 men were rescued and 82 bodies were found. But with survivor accounts suggesting as many as 750 people were on board, several families are calling on authorities to raise the wreck from the seabed and […]]]> 650201 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230705-tunisia-italy-interior-ministers-discuss-irregular-immigration/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:36:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649690 Tunisian Interior Minister Kamel Feki yesterday discussed the issue of irregular migration with his Italian counterpart Matteo Piantedosi, the Tunisian Interior Ministry said in a statement, Anadolu reported. The statement said the two ministers spoke on the phone and reviewed cooperation relations and partnership programmes linking the two ministries, especially in the field of migration and organised crime. "The two parties expressed their unwavering readiness and firm determination to further consolidate these relations and raise them to the highest levels, reflecting the depth and history of the historical relations between the two countries and serving the interest of the two friendly peoples," it added. Tunisia has recently witnessed a remarkable increase in the pace of irregular migration to Europe, especially towards […]]]> 649690 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230703-pakistan-moves-to-charge-traffickers-with-money-laundering-over-greece-boat-tragedy/ Mon, 03 Jul 2023 16:14:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=649040 Pakistan has decided to charge the suspected human traffickers involved in last month's shipwreck off the coast of Greece under the country's anti-money laundering law, an official statement said on Monday, Anadolu Agency reports. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which is investigating the gory incident in which some 350 Pakistanis were among over 800 onboard a fishing trawler that sank, said in a statement that the passports of the suspected traffickers will also be blacklisted, apart from blocking their national identity cards and bank accounts. The decisions were announced during a meeting held in the north-eastern city of Lahore to review the progress in the shipwreck investigation with Director General FIA, Mohsin Butt, in the chair. READ: European official: Recent […]]]> 649040 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230702-artist-alessandra-ferrini-explores-the-complex-relationship-between-libya-and-italy/ Sun, 02 Jul 2023 08:00:57 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648288 A decade ago, artist Alessandra Ferrini sat in front of her laptop and watched for the first time the 1980 movie Lion of the Desert. At the time she was an Italian student who just moved to London, and she shared her flat with a Libyan housemate who had introduced the movie to her. Lion of the Desert is an epic historical war film about the Second Italo-Senussi War, starring Anthony Quinn as Libyan tribal leader Omar Al-Mukhtar, a Bedouin leader fighting the Royal Italian Army, and Oliver Reed as Italian General Rodolfo Graziani, who defeated Mukhtar. Alessandra was particularly impressed by the scene when Al-Mukhtar ends up being hanged in public. This was a gesture done by the Italians […]]]> 648288 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230630-survivors-of-greece-boat-disaster-say-coastguard-rope-toppled-boat/ Fri, 30 Jun 2023 15:05:18 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=648342 Survivors of a boat disaster that likely killed hundreds of migrants near Greece have given accounts of traffickers in North Africa cramming them into a clapped-out fishing trawler. They recounted hellish conditions above and below deck, with no food or water. Some also said the tragic end, when it came, was precipitated by the actions of the Greek coastguard. They have told judicial authorities of a doomed attempt to tow the overloaded trawler that caused the vessel to capsize in the early hours of 14 June. A disastrous coastguard towing attempt was recounted in six of the nine statements from survivors submitted to Greek judicial officials investigating the causes of the tragedy, according to evidence seen by Reuters. One Syrian […]]]> 648342 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230629-fascist-italys-forgotten-concentration-camps-in-libya/ Thu, 29 Jun 2023 09:33:12 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647971 On 30 August 2008, Italy and Libya signed their Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Partnership, ending their awkward past of feuding and diplomatic tensions over Italy's colonisation of Libya from 1911 to 1943. Libya was seeking compensation, recognition of suffering of its people and, above all, an apology. Rome, as is the case with all former colonial powers, tried for years to close the matter without offering anything. The treaty, a success for Libya, might have ended the political and diplomatic struggle over the colonial past, but it will not wipe it out from history and people's memories. The idea of invading Libya came during the colonial rush that saw major colonial powers like France, United Kingdom and others divide […]]]> 647971 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230628-rising-death-toll-unsettling-alliances-italys-alarming-response-to-migration-crisis/ Wed, 28 Jun 2023 07:30:26 +0000 , Middle East Monitor , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647306 2023 has been the deadliest year for migrants crossing the Mediterranean since 2017. In 2022, more than half of those that took on the world's most treacherous migration route departed from Libya, a country that has been embroiled in conflict and civil war for nearly a decade, and about a third from Tunisia. By June 2023, Tunisia had overtaken Libya as the gateway for the highest number of migrants heading for Italy, which has served as a primary destination for those trying to reach Europe in search of a better life. Tunisia's worsening economic, political and social crisis, as well as the recent crackdown on sub-Saharan Africans in the country under President Kais Saied and the rise of anti-Black rhetoric […]]]> 647306 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-israel-is-targeting-palestinian-christians/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 17:00:15 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647256 Israel continues its policy of Judaising the occupied city of Jerusalem where it targets Islamic and Christian holy sites. It is trying to change the historical mark of Jerusalem as a multicultural city that is sacred to all three religions and to turn it into a city with an exclusive Jewish identity. Over the years, Israel has invested billions of shekels in archaeological tourism projects aiming to entrench the Jewish narrative to change the way the city is perceived. In recent weeks, it has announced an additional investment of tens of millions of shekels in archaeological excavations and projects run by the far-right Elad Association (City of David), claiming that these projects tell the story of Jewish Jerusalem. It also […]]]> 647256 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-boat-capsizes-between-tunisia-and-italy-newborn-among-missing/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 11:44:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647280 A boat has capsized between Tunisia and Italy and 37 people including a newborn baby are missing, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The survivors are from sub-Saharan Africa and arrived on the Italian island of Lampedusa last Thursday. The boat they were on left from Tunisia's second city of Sfax carrying refugees from Cameroon, Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast. A spokesperson for the IOM said that the arrival of sub-Saharan Africans from Tunisia was because of discrimination that they faced in Tunisia. In February, Tunisian President Kais Saied announced that immigration was a plot to change the country's demography and that security forces should take "urgent measures" against "hordes" of undocumented sub-Saharan migrants. Armed mobs attacked homes where black […]]]> 647280 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230626-alarm-in-italy-over-law-to-shutter-muslim-prayer-spaces/ Mon, 26 Jun 2023 10:34:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=647266 A controversial law proposed by the ruling far-right coalition has again brought Muslims and their places of worship to the fore of Italy's political discourse. If passed, the law could shut down hundreds of Islamic prayer spaces, a prospect triggering alarm within the country's 2.5 million-strong Muslim community. Opposition politicians are also up in arms against a bill that they believe is unconstitutional and a form of "unacceptable discrimination." Presented by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, the bill will target prayer spaces that are not in mosques or those that have never received formal approval to be used for worship, such as the premises of various Muslim cultural organisations. "It's absurd. It will go against the freedom […]]]> 647266 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230623-the-beloved-cavaliere-berlusconis-death-will-not-resolve-italys-democracy-problem/ Fri, 23 Jun 2023 11:02:00 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646789 "Berlusconi is there because others have failed." These words by Italian columnist Massimo Franco were made to the Washington Post in 2018, shortly before the Italian elections. They sum up the story of Italy's modern politics. Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's adored but also loathed longest-serving prime minister died on 12 June. His party, Forza Italia, is a partner in Italy's current government coalition, led by Giorgia Meloni. Berlusconi has not served as a prime minister since 2011. Despite his old age – he died at 86 – and his many scandals, he continued to cast a shadow over Italian politics, even when dying at Milan's San Raffaele Hospital. Judging by the ongoing television coverage of his state funeral, and around-the-clock commentary, one suspects that the legacy […]]]> 646789 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-uk-arrests-man-suspected-of-organising-migrant-smuggling-operations-from-egypt/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 20:24:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646689 British authorities have arrested a man suspected of organising the smuggling of thousands of migrants and refugees across the Mediterranean Sea, potentially leading to the deaths of many hundreds. According to BBC News, police arrested a 40-year-old Egyptian national today who they believe worked with people-smuggling networks in North Africa to organise smuggling operations to Italy. The arrest comes after a series of boat capsizing incidents and migrant deaths in recent weeks, including the sinking of a fishing boat off southern Greece last week, in which only around a hundred migrants survived out of an estimated 400 to 750 who were on board the boat from Egypt. Hundreds are presumed dead after they were not found. READ: UN agencies call […]]]> 646689 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230622-tunisia-opposition-warns-saied-against-bowing-to-european-pressure-on-migrants/ Thu, 22 Jun 2023 07:49:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646514 Tunisian President Kais Saied began an official visit to France yesterday, with the opposition warned against succumbing to European pressures to settle migrants in Tunisia. The Tunisian presidency stated that Saied would participate in the 'Paris Summit for a New Financial Deal' after receiving an invitation from President Emmanuel Macron. Former MP and migrant rights activist, Magdi Karbai wrote: "Emmanuel Macron meets today in France with [Italian Prime Minister] Georgia Meloni, and they discuss assisting Tunisia. At the same time, Macron extends an invitation to Kais Saied to attend the Paris summit on June 22 and 23, and Saied accepts the invitation!" This indicates a potential agreement between the two parties on the issue of irregular migration. Abdelwahab Al-Hani, the […]]]> 646514 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-arab-environmental-head-withdraws-from-eu-training-course-due-to-israel-delegation-presence/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 19:23:48 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646505 The director of an Arab environmental group withdrew from a European Union (EU) training course in Italy this week after an Israeli delegation appeared at the course, leading her to call on the bloc to adhere to international law by refraining from assisting elements of Israel's occupation. According to the Lebanese Al Mayadeen news agency, an organiser of the 'Water and Environment Support' project nominated Mariam Al-Jaaja, the General Manager of the Arab Union for the Protection of Nature (APN), to attend the training course in the Italian city of Bari. Al-Jaaja and her group were surprised, however, by the presence of a delegation representing Israel and, after consulting with members from APN and the Arab Network for Food Sovereignty […]]]> 646505 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230621-suspected-smugglers-detained-pending-trial-over-migrant-shipwreck-off-greece/ Wed, 21 Jun 2023 14:05:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=646432 Nine men charged over the worst shipwreck in the Mediterranean Sea this year that killed at least 82 people were detained pending trial, the coastguard said on Wednesday, while the European Union promised more funds and actions on migration, Reuters reports. Greece, which has come under increasing scrutiny over its response to the 12-13 June disaster, is still searching the sea in the wider area, though the chance of finding more survivors was seen as virtually nil. The 20-30 metre long fishing boat packed with hundreds of migrants sank off Greece's south-west coast in some of the deepest waters of the Mediterranean, on a journey that started from Libya and was supposed to end in Italy. It was thought to […]]]> 646432 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230620-save-us-a-plea-ignored-by-governments/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 14:15:46 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645969 What is it that drives Egyptians to migrate across the sea? "Young people need to live and eat, or else they'll leave you and flee across the sea," President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi said last week, summarising the principal reason behind the increasing illegal migration. A significant decline in services, difficulties in securing a decent life, soaring prices, the struggle to afford food and drink, and a marked increase in poverty rates were all factors in what happened just hours after Al-Sisi's remarks. It was a horrifying incident, the worst in years, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. A fishing vessel sank off the Greek coast, with approximately 750 migrants of various nationalities onboard, most notably Egyptians and Syrians. Days before Al-Sisi's […]]]> 645969 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-saied-tunisia-will-not-accept-to-be-the-guardian-of-any-countrys-borders/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 19:33:56 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645881 On Monday, Tunisian President, Kais Saied, stated that his country "will not accept to be the guardian of any other country's borders or to settle migrants on its territory." This came during his reception of the German Interior Minister, Nancy Faes, and her French counterpart, Gerald Darmanin, at the presidential Carthage Palace near the Tunisian capital, according to a statement from the Tunisian presidency. Saied said, "Tunisia will never accept to be the guardian of any other country's borders (not mentioned) and will not accept the settlement of migrants on its soil." He reiterated his stance "on the necessity of adopting a new approach regarding the phenomenon of irregular migration, based on eliminating the causes rather than attempting to address […]]]> 645881 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-the-irony-of-world-refugee-day-celebrating-then-blaming-the-victims/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 17:06:42 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645576 Fadi, a Syrian teenager, with curly hair and an acne-covered face, has miraculously survived one of the greatest migrant boat disasters in the modern history of the Mediterranean. Only 104 people have been rescued from a boat that carried an estimated 750 refugees after it capsized on 13 June in the open sea near the coastal town of Pylos. Scores of lifeless bodies have been pulled out from the water, and many more have washed ashore. Hundreds are still missing, feared dead, many of whom are women and children, as they huddled on the lower deck of the 30-meter boat. Fadi survived. A heart-rending photo shows the young Syrian sobbing as he met his older brother, Mohammed, who rushed to […]]]> 645576 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-iraq-recovers-looted-artefact-from-italy/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 12:44:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645526 The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities in Baghdad announced yesterday that it has retrieved a 2,800-year-old stone tablet from Italy, nearly four decades after it was looted from Iraq. The artefact is inscribed with complete cuneiform text, one of the world's oldest writing systems developed in ancient Mesopotamia. It has been described as being notably larger than other clay tablets found in Iraq and bears the insignia of Shalmaneser III, the Assyrian king who ruled the Nimrod region, present-day northern Iraq, from 858 to 823BCE. Although it is unclear how the historic item ended up in Italy, the government handed it over to Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, during his recent trip to Bologna. Italy handed over to Iraq […]]]> 645526 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-mystery-surrounds-the-death-of-a-mossad-agent-in-italy/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 12:00:59 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645503 More details are unfolding following the killing of an Israeli officer when a boat capsized and sank off Italy's coast in late May. There is more certainty that Israeli and Italian intelligence officers on the boat had taken part in an operation that aimed at preventing hostile Iranian members from obtaining weapons of mass destruction. Although the operation seems to have run smoothly, the boat sinking has revealed some hidden details including the fact that the Mossad officer who was killed was responsible for liaison with foreign intelligence services. Several weeks after the boat Good Uria sank in Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, it became clear that the meeting between nearly 20 Israeli and Italian intelligence officers was to carry […]]]> 645503 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230619-9-egyptians-arrested-and-accused-of-smuggling-after-greek-boat-tragedy/ Mon, 19 Jun 2023 10:51:31 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=645505 Nine Egyptians have been arrested and accused of taking part in the smuggling of migrants after a boat capsized off the coast of Greece, killing 79 people last week. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has said that it fears hundreds more people have drowned in what was one of the worst and deadliest disasters of this year. The boat set off from Egypt and then picked up passengers in Libya's Tobruk before capsizing in Greek waters on its way to Italy. In total there were some 750 passengers, mainly from Egypt, Syria and Pakistan, onboard. Each person paid $4,500. A German member of parliament told Anadolu that Greek authorities knew that the boat was in their waters, that it was in danger, yet […]]]> 645505