https://www.middleeastmonitor.com Latest news from the Middle East and North Africa Tue, 08 Aug 2023 13:08:12 +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/20230808-tunisia-bakeries-protest-ban-on-sale-of-subsidised-flour/ Tue, 08 Aug 2023 11:59:28 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658720 Dozens of Tunisian workers and owners of modern bakeries staged a sit-in yesterday in front of the Ministry of Commerce in protest of a government decision to stop selling them subsidised flour, Anadolu news agency reported. The protesters called on the government to sell flour "justly" and rejected the "policy of cutting off the livelihoods" of bakery owners and workers. In statements to the media, Mohamed Jamali, president of the Association of Modern Bakeries, said: "We demand our right to work with dignity." "Our bakeries receive only a little government support while other bakeries take flour with 100 per cent support. The state's measures came to exclude us from the scene and force 18,000 workers into unemployment," he added. Modern bakeries are […]]]> 658720 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230807-tunisia-10-bodies-recovered-off-coast-of-sfax-over-48-hour-period/ Mon, 07 Aug 2023 07:37:00 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658254 Tunisian authorities recovered ten bodies over a 48-hour period from the coast of Sfax on the Mediterranean, they revealed yesterday. "Ten bodies were recovered in the last 48 hours by coast guard units on the coasts of Louata in Sfax," the Tunisian National Guard, which is affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior, said in a brief statement. Prosecutors in Sfax were authorised to take necessary measures regarding using forensic medicine to identify the victims, the statement continued. Tunisia has witnessed a remarkable increase in the pace of irregular migration to Europe across the Mediterranean, especially towards the coasts of Italy, due to the repercussions of the economic and political crises in the region. Earlier this year, Tunisian President Kais Saied said that his country […]]]> 658254 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-tunisia-eager-to-strengthen-relations-with-uae-president/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 15:19:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658136 Tunisia's president highlighted the importance his country attaches to strengthening relations with the United Arab Emirates, the Tunisian Presidency said Friday, Anadolu reports. Kais Saied received Sheikh Shakhboot Nahyan Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister of State in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, at the Carthage Palace, it said on Facebook. During the meeting, Saied pointed to the solid foundations of the promising bilateral relations for partnerships between the two countries in various sectors, including renewable energy, seawater decontamination, health, digital transformation, education, tourism and infrastructure, the statement noted. READ: Tunisia rescues 15,000 migrants in first half of 2023 Emphasizing that his country cares about strengthening and diversifying relations with the UAE, Saied emphasized that UAE investments in various […]]]> 658136 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-head-of-salvation-front-tunisia-needs-a-rescue-government-national-dialogue-without-president/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:58:07 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658089 Ahmed Najib Chebbi, head of the National Salvation Front (the largest opposition bloc), urged that Tunisia needs a national rescue government resulting from a national dialogue: "In which President Kais Saied does not participate, as he rejected previous dialogue initiatives led by the Labour Union with a number of other organisations that received the Nobel Peace Prize." In a press conference on Friday in the capital, he added: "Tunisia is in a state of disintegration and needs a rescue government in which the various political forces participate and has political support so that it is not isolated, but can rather save the country from the crises it is going through." Chebbi also criticised the new Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Hachani, describing […]]]> 658089 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230805-tunisia-rescues-15000-migrants-in-first-half-of-2023/ Sat, 05 Aug 2023 10:51:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=658086 Tunisian Security Services have rescued 15,327 illegal migrants during the first half of 2023, Tunisian Interior Minister Kamal Feki announced on Friday. According to Feki, 95 per cent of the migrants hold African or sub-Saharan identities. He noted that the security services are carrying out a direct humanitarian follow-up in coordination with the relevant international organisations. In order to address the crisis, the security forces have been closely collaborating with pertinent international organisations, providing a humanitarian response and conducting fieldwork. The Tunisian minister considers what was reported by some international organisations untrue, especially a recent statement by the United Nations (UN) deputy spokesperson about the alleged treatment of African refugees and migrants on the Tunisian borders. "We are deeply concerned about […]]]> 658086 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230803-president-saied-says-tunisia-facing-terrorist-plot-aimed-at-starving-people/ Thu, 03 Aug 2023 10:35:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657821 Tunisia is facing a "terrorist" plot that seeks to "starve the people", President Kais Saied said yesterday. This came during the appointment ceremony of Prime Minister Ahmed Al-Hachani in Tunis, according to a video shared by the presidency on Facebook. "Of the most important challenges is confronting another type of terrorism that seeks to starve the people," Saied told the newly appointed premier, adding that "there is no room for tolerance with these people at all, and they must be held accountable." "Those who manipulate the people's livelihood and security inside Tunisia will pay a heavy price according to the law under a fair trial. What citizens everywhere are experiencing is an attempt to fuel social conditions by arranging behind- the- scenes […]]]> 657821 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230802-tunisia-president-sacks-pm-bouden-appoints-ahmed-hachani/ Wed, 02 Aug 2023 10:20:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657213 Tunisian President Kais Saied last night sacked Prime Minister Najla Bouden and appointed a former official in the Central Bank, Ahmed Hachani, as her successor. No reason was given for Saied's decision, but local media highlighted Saied's dissatisfaction with shortages in commodities in local markets, particularly the lack of bread in state-subsidised bakeries. According to a video clip and a statement released by the presidency, Saied decided to "end the duties of Ms. Najla Bouden Ramadan," who was the first woman to lead a government in Tunisia. Hachani worked for the Central Bank of Tunisia and studied at the Faculty of Law at Tunis University, where Saied taught, according to a post by the new prime minister on his Facebook page. The new prime […]]]> 657213 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-un-demands-immediate-end-to-expulsion-of-migrants-from-tunisia/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 20:00:36 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657159 The UN, Tuesday, called for an immediate end to the expulsions of migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and Algeria, Anadolu Agency reports. In July, hundreds of people from sub-Saharan African countries were forced from the coastal city of Sfax by Tunisian security forces, and left stranded in a desolate desert area, without food, water or shelter, according to human rights groups. "We are deeply concerned about the expulsion of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers from Tunisia to the borders with Libya and also Algeria," UN deputy spokesperson told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York. "Several have died at the border with Libya and hundreds including pregnant women and children reportedly remain […]]]> 657159 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-tunisia-studying-law-criminalising-normalising-ties-with-israel/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 15:03:52 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=657122 The Tunisian parliament yesterday announced that the Committee on Rights and Freedoms had begun studying a draft law that calls for "criminalising" the normalisation of ties with Israel. The committee presented "a preliminary reading regarding the importance of the draft law for the Tunisian people, and its unconditional support for the just Palestinian cause," according to a statement published on the government's official Facebook page. In August 2022, the Tunisian Ministry of Trade and Export Development stressed its commitment to the provisions of the Arab "boycott" of Israel in accordance with the principles of the League of Arab States, in response to reports about its commercial exchanges with Israel. Tunisia has not had ties with the occupation state since it […]]]> 657122 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-libya-border-guards-find-bodies-of-6-black-africans-in-desert/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 10:38:57 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656959 Libyan border guards have found the bodies of six African migrants in the desert, according to the Interior Ministry. The news comes just one week after a video circulated online of a Libyan border guard giving water to black African migrants who had been dumped in the middle of the desert by Tunisian authorities. Two days earlier Libya's Interior Ministry said that the bodies of five black African migrants were recovered during a routine patrol along the border. Then in mid-July, Libyan border guards said they rescued 80 migrants left in the desert without food or water in the town of Al-Assah 150 kilometres west of Tripoli. Border guards say they were exhausted, dehydrated and left in temperatures of 40 degrees. Conditions were particularly […]]]> 656959 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-tunisia-islamist-political-prisoners-held-in-harsh-conditions/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 08:43:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656934 Political prisoners from the major Islamic political party in Tunisia, Ennahda, are facing "harsh conditions" in prison, their lawyers revealed on Monday. They made their comments during a press conference held by the National Salvation Front. The Front provides the main opposition to President Kais Saied, and the legal defence team for political prisoner Sayed Ferjani. He was arrested on 27 February this year and, according to his lawyers and family, has been enduring "harsh and inhuman conditions" in prison. "Ferjani's only sin is that he is a prominent leader of Ennahda Movement, which won the majority in the elections, but the president is trying to eradicate it," said the lawyers. Sayed Ferjani was held and tortured during the rule […]]]> 656934 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230801-tunisia-1500-bakeries-suspend-production/ Tue, 01 Aug 2023 07:59:45 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656917 Tunisia's Union of Bakers announced yesterday the suspension of its bread-making activities in all their bakeries beginning today, Anadolu Agency reported. The decision came following a meeting of the Union's national executive bureau. No reason was given for the cessation in activity or how long the bakers the suspension would be in place. There was no immediate comment by the authorities on the decision. Tunisia has, for months, suffered from a shortage of bread that has caused long queues outside bakeries. In December last year, thousands of bakeries closed their doors as part of a general strike to demand the government pay their dues in the context of subsidising the baking industry. Tunisia had issued a plan to start the gradual abolition of bread subsidies over a four-year […]]]> 656917 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230731-gambia-repatriates-127-of-its-nationals-from-tunisia/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 19:24:38 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656822 Gambian authorities have reportedly repatriated a total of 127 Gambian nationals from Tunisia and Libya over the course of two days, AFP reports. According to the report, authorities in the Gambia repatriated 40 citizens from Tunisia in the night, from Thursday to Friday. Since Tunisian President Saied's xenophobic and racist comments in February, western African countries have been returning hundreds of their nationals. READ: Irregular arrivals up 10% in first half of 2023 The group, who reportedly returned to their home country voluntarily, left Tunisia Thursday evening and arrived in the capital, Banjul, around 2:00 am the next morning, the report added. One day earlier, the West African nation had repatriated 87 of its citizens from Libya, the same spokeswoman […]]]> 656822 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/20230731-french-congolese-hip-hop-artist-cancels-concert-in-tunisia-over-rights-abuses-of-black-african-migrants/ Mon, 31 Jul 2023 12:15:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656672 French-Congolese artist Gims has cancelled his concert in Tunisia because of how the authorities have treated black African migrants in the country over recent weeks. Je ne trouve pas les mots .. ?@GIMS #Tunisia pic.twitter.com/ccz81jXyM2 — عفاف الغربي (@afefgharbitv) July 31, 2023 Children, women and men expelled from Tunisia to Libya live in inhuman conditions. I cannot maintain my visit to Tunisia, scheduled for August 11th. I don't know what the solution is, but this extreme distress is unbearable. Gims is one of the biggest names in French hip hop and gained international recognition for his first single, J'me tire (I'm leaving). A recent report released by Human Rights Watch found that Tunisian police and military had been rounding up black Africans in the […]]]> 656672 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230728-pm-tunisia-to-prepare-human-rights-national-action-plan/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 11:37:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=656018 Tunisian Prime Minister Naglaa Boudin announced yesterday the start of preparations for a national action plan in the field of business and human rights, Anadolu news agency reported. This came in a recorded message released during a national conference held in the capital, Tunis, and shared by her office on Facebook. "Tunisia is keen on respecting human rights and consolidating the foundations of sustainable development," Boudin said in her message, explaining that the plan comes within the framework of asserting that "human rights are universal, comprehensive, interdependent and indivisible." She added that the "enjoyment of civil and political rights cannot be guaranteed without guaranteeing economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development," stressing that Tunisia's accession to the […]]]> 656018 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-tunisia-mps-collect-signatures-to-classify-ennahda-as-terrorist-organisation/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 09:35:14 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655594 A number of parliamentarians in Tunisia have been collecting signatures for a petition calling for the country's Ennahda Movement to be classified as a "terrorist organisation", allegedly in response to "popular demands". This was announced by Tariq Al-Mahdi MP on Wednesday. Al-Mahdi told the official Tunisian radio that Ennahda has in recent years carried out deportations and appointments in official public institutions based on "favouritism", which negatively affected state institutions. According to Fatima Al-Masdi MP, Ennahda should be closed down on "suspicion of foreign funding and external connections as well as its involvement in political assassinations." The petition, she said, "will be a gift to the Tunisian people on the 10th anniversary of the assassination of Mohamed Brahmi." Parliamentary sources […]]]> 655594 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230727-tunisia-president-no-turning-back-on-reform-plan/ Thu, 27 Jul 2023 08:24:06 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655560 Tunisian President Kais Saied said on Tuesday that there is "no turning back" on the reform plan he adopted to improve the situation in Tunisia. This came during a visit to a local neighbourhood in the capital, Tunis, on the 66th Republic Day. "We are moving forward and not going backwards," Saied told bystanders. A video shared by the Tunisian presidency on Facebook, showed many citizens complaining about water, electricity and bread shortages, to which Saied responded that "there is a close follow-up of these problems in all regions of the country." Saied blamed many of the problems being faced by Tunisians on high temperatures and power outages. "I know that you feel distressed, but all these problems will be […]]]> 655560 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-tunisia-says-it-has-contained-wildfires-that-have-swept-several-regions/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 16:32:37 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655239 Tunisian firefighters have completely contained the fires that broke out in a number of regions of the country, with the help of members of the Algerian army and fire fighting planes from Spain, the Tunisian Interior Minister said on Wednesday, Reuters reports. Wildfires that swept across regions of Algeria, leaving at least 34 people,  including 10 soldiers, dead, spread to Tunisian regions including forests of Tabarka, Jendouba, Beja, Bizerte and Siliana. Earlier on Wednesday, Algeria managed to contain the bush fire that had been raging in its forests, the state TV said. Wildfires in Tunisia forced hundreds to evacuate their homes, as a heat wave spread across North Africa and southern Europe. Temperatures of 49 degrees Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) were recorded in some […]]]> 655239 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230726-libya-border-guard-criticises-forcible-deportation-of-black-africans-from-tunisia/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:04:04 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655147 A video is circulating online showing an outraged Libyan border guard criticising the forcible deportation of black Africans from Tunisia into the desert. In the video he approaches a man and his baby who have been left in the middle of the desert, before a couple walk past and accept some water. "Shame on you Tunisia," he says. "It's 50 degrees." Un garde frontière libyen s'insurge contre les déportations des migrants subsahariens depuis la Tunisie, lâchés en plein désert sous des températures dépassant les 50°. Entre-temps, le responsable de ces déportations est fêté par l'Union Européenne comme partenaire premium. pic.twitter.com/q4sFY98Wga — Sentenza (@RealSentenza) July 24, 2023 A heatwave is currently engulfing North Africa and the Middle East, and temperatures have soared to […]]]> 655147 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-egyptians-suffer-as-heat-wave-continues-across-the-middle-east-and-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 18:18:35 +0000 , Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655052 Egypt has warned the population not to use lifts for 20 minutes, each hour, whilst it implements power cuts so that it can conserve energy as a gruelling heat wave continues to engulf North Africa and the Middle East. The Electricity Ministry has released a diagram to show the start and end times of the power outages every hour, and when to stay away from the lifts so that people do not get trapped inside them. وفقا لبيان وزارة الكهرباء ، دا رسم بيوضح مواعيد بدء انقطاع التيار الكهربائى كل ساعة، وهى التلت ساعة اللى باللون الأحمر، ويفضل البعد عن الاسانسير خلالها. ربنا يسترها على الجميع. pic.twitter.com/4Fidj9uMYA — Khaled Ali (@Khaledali251) July 23, 2023 The government has said that the […]]]> 655052 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-migrants-in-border-region-of-libya-and-tunisia/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 15:48:11 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=655023 Five bodies of sub-Saharan migrants have been recovered in a desolate area near the border between Libya and Tunisia, Libya's Interior Ministry said in a statement on Monday, Reuters reports. According to the report, the Ministry said the bodies were found during patrols near the border areas with Tunisia between Dahra and Tawilat Al-Rutba. Dozens of sub-Saharan Africans are stranded near the Libyan border and say that the Tunisian authorities removed them to this border area from the city of Sfax earlier this month. The Tunisian government then moved them to shelters in two towns, the report added. The rights groups said that dozens are still stuck there in very difficult conditions, left thirsty and hungry in an unprecedented heat […]]]> 655023 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-wildfires-kill-34-in-algeria-as-heat-wave-sweeps-north-africa/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 13:50:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654997 The death toll, as wildfires sweep across regions of Algeria, has risen to 34 people including 10 soldiers on Monday, the Interior Ministry said, as a heat wave spreads across North Africa and southern Europe, Reuters reports. Some 8,000 fire-fighters were battling to bring the flames under control, authorities said. The Interior Ministry said that it is continuing its fire-fighting operations in the Boumerdes, Bouira, Tizi Ouzou, Jijel, Bejaia and Skikda regions. About 1,500 people have been evacuated, so far. The authorities have launched a judicial investigation into the causes of the fires. A major heat wave is sweeping across North Africa, with temperatures of 49 Celsius (120 Fahrenheit) recorded in some cities in neighbouring Tunisia. In Tunisia, wildfires swept […]]]> 654997 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-tunisia-evacuates-residents-of-border-area-with-algeria-due-to-fires/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 12:39:19 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654971 Tunisian authorities in the north-western state of Jendouba have evacuated all the residents of the Meloula border area with Algeria as civil defence teams continue efforts to extinguish wildfires there, Anadolu news agency reported. The Tunisian Civil Defence authorities said in a statement yesterday that the fires in Meloula Tabarka on the border with Algeria have expanded greatly due to the strong winds. This has meant residents must be evacuated onboard the Naval Guard boats as well as private boats. Last week, the Tunisian Civil Protection announced that its teams are working to extinguish a fire that broke out in the Meloula forests and destroyed eight hectares of land. Summer fires due to high temperatures are the biggest threat to vegetation and […]]]> 654971 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230725-tunisia-man-sets-himself-on-fire-on-habib-bourguiba-avenue/ Tue, 25 Jul 2023 09:32:47 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654928 A man in Tunisia set himself on fire on Saturday for unknown reasons and is now being treated in hospital with second degree burns, reports the New Arab. Watan News reported that the 35-year-old man poured a flammable substance over himself and set himself on fire on Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, a road in the capital Tunis which became symbolic after protesters gathered there during the revolution. This latest self-immolation comes just three months after a Tunisian professional footballer Nizar Issaoui, 35, set himself alight in protest against what he said was the police state ruling the country. Issaoui was accused of terror charges after he was unable to buy bananas for less than ten dinars a kilogram, roughly $3. After Issaoui died from third degree burns, demonstrators took to the streets in the village of Haffouz, where […]]]> 654928 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-tunisia-kais-saieds-power-grab-has-dramatically-undermined-human-rights-says-amnesty/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 12:22:15 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654788 Advocacy group Amnesty International said today that the Tunisian President Kais Saied's two-year-long power grab has "dramatically undermined" human rights in the country. In July 2021 Saied suspended parliament and dismissed the prime minister. Eight months later he dissolved the parliament and then fired 57 judges and prosecutors, accusing them of "financial" and "moral" corruption. Tunisia has tumbled 21 places on the Reporters Without Borders Freedom Index as journalists report being interrogated by security forces and handed prison sentences. At least 39 people have been investigated on charges of "insulting authorities" and "spreading fake news," Amnesty International has said. Political prisoners, state critics and perceived critics have been targeted, including 21 members of the country's largest opposition party Ennahda. Leader of Ennahda and former speaker of […]]]> 654788 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230723-tunisia-migration-deal-a-model-for-others-eus-von-der-leyen-says/ Sun, 23 Jul 2023 12:53:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654646 The European Union's pact with Tunisia can serve as a model for other countries, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday, as the EU struggles to stem unauthorised flows of migrants across the Mediterranean, Reuters reports. The EU and Tunisia last week signed a "strategic partnership" deal that includes cracking down on human traffickers and tightening borders. Europe also pledged 1 billion euros ($1.1 billion) in aid to help Tunisia with its battered economy and rescue state finances. "We want our agreement with Tunisia to be a template. A blueprint for the future. For partnerships with other countries in the region," von der Leyen told a conference in Rome. She said the EU should offer a legal […]]]> 654646 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-tunisia-saudi-arabia-sign-500m-loan-deal/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 15:48:59 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654386 The governments of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia signed a soft loan agreement worth $400 million and a financial grant of $100 million offered by Riyadh to help mitigate Tunis' budget deficit. This came at a time when Tunisia is facing a budget deficit crisis and a decline in foreign investments. The Tunisian radio reported that Finance Minister Siham Boughdiri Nemsia and Saudi Finance Minister Muhammad Al-Jadaan signed a $400 million soft loan agreement at the Tunisian government palace in Kasbah. They also signed a $100 million grant agreement. The Tunisian minister stated that the loan and grant agreements will be directed to support the state's general budget. READ: Tunisia borrows $87.1m from African Development Bank for grain production According to the […]]]> 654386 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-heatwave-2023-wildfires-hit-tunisia/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 11:40:50 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654103 READ: Tunisia borrows $87.1m from African Development Bank for grain production]]> 654103 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230720-tunisia-borrows-87-1m-from-african-development-bank-for-grain-production/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 09:57:26 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=654085 Tunisia has borrowed $87.1 million from the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support the country's grain production, Anadolu has reported. The loan agreement was signed by Economy and Planning Minister Samir Saied and AfDB Deputy Director General for North Africa Region, Malinne Blomberg. Minister Saied said that the multimillion-dollar loan will be used to support the sustainable development of the grain sector and increase the country's strategic grain storage capacity from two to three months' requirements. This will be done through the rehabilitation and modernisation of the Rades and Bizerte port silos, the creation of a new silo at Djebel Djeloud and the relaunch of grain transport by rail, he explained. READ: Tunisia receives four T-6C training aircraft from the US […]]]> 654085 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-hrw-eu-should-suspend-migration-funding-for-tunisia-until-human-rights-assessment/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 12:11:05 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653659 Human Rights Watch has said that the EU should suspend migration control funding to Tunisian security forces until a human rights impact assessment has been carried out. In July, Tunisian police and military rounded up black Africans in the country and dumped them on the border with Libya and Algeria. Two bodies were recovered and videos of people with broken ankles, begging for food and water, circulated online. HRW documented abuses including beatings and the use of excessive force, theft of belongings and money and in some cases torture. Despite this, the EU has offered Tunisia an aid package including over €100 million ($112.2 million) if Tunisia agrees to help stop migrant boats crossing the Mediterranean and heading for Europe and facilitate the […]]]> 653659 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230718-tunisia-receives-four-t-6c-training-aircraft-from-the-us/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 18:12:46 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=653373 The Tunisian Defence Ministry said on Tuesday it had received four T-6C training aircraft from the United States, as part of cooperation to renew its fleet of training aircraft for the Air Force, Reuters reports. Last month, four Tunisian soldiers died after a military aircraft crashed into the sea, an accident that President Kais Saied attributed to an aging military fleet. The US Ambassador in Tunisia, Joey R. Hood, said his country was committed to supporting the Defence Ministry's efforts to enhance the Air Force's ability to meet security challenges and humanitarian needs. Imed Memich, the Defence Minister, said the new aircraft would provide the Air Force with advanced training capabilities. READ: Tunisia and EU sign partnership memorandum of understanding]]> 653373 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-tunisia-and-eu-sign-partnership-memorandum-of-understanding/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 11:32:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652879 Tunisia and the European Union signed a memorandum of understanding on Sunday for a strategic, comprehensive partnership covering trade, investment and irregular migration. The value of the agreement exceeds €750 million. The details were announced by the Tunisian presidency after a meeting at the Carthage Palace in Tunis between President Kais Saied and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. It was said to be opening a "new chapter" in relations between the EU and Tunisia. "Rapprochement between people will be the best outcome of the MoU," explained Saied in a joint press conference. "There will be a summit-level conference on migration that will bring together all the countries […]]]> 652879 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230717-libya-border-guards-rescue-migrants-left-in-desert-by-tunisia/ Mon, 17 Jul 2023 10:32:40 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652620 Libyan border guards say they have rescued migrants left in the desert without food or water, AFP reported over the weekend. Roughly 80 people were found in the town of Al-Assah, some 150 kilometres west of Tripoli, and were exhausted and dehydrated in temperatures of 40 degrees. AFP said that the Libyan border agents gave them water and took them to a shelter. The news comes after a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report revealed that Tunisian security forces have been forcibly expelling several hundred black African migrants and asylum seekers since the start of July from Sfax to a militarised border zone between Tunisia and Libya. Sfax is a Tunisian port town close to the island of Lampadusa in Italy and hundreds of people have […]]]> 652620 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/20230713-tunisia-recovers-bodies-of-13-migrants-after-boat-sinks-off-coast/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:57:39 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652177 The Tunisian coastguard said, on Thursday, it recovered the bodies of 13 sub-Saharan African migrants and rescued 25 after their boat sank en route for Italy, Reuters reports. The tragedy occurred off the city of Sfax, the coastguard said, without saying how far offshore the boat was when it sank. Tunisia is facing an unprecedented migration crisis, having replaced Libya as the region's main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East, in the hope of a better life in Europe. The number of dead and missing off the North African country's coast rose to around 630 in the first half of 2023, far more than in any previous year, according to figures compiled by Reuters. Tunisia is […]]]> 652177 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/20230713-tunisia-labour-union-criticises-sacking-of-school-principals-asking-for-pay-raise/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 12:51:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652109 The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) has criticised the Ministry of Education's decision to expel 350 school principals and suspend the salaries of 17,000 teachers who were demanding an increase in pay, Anadolu has reported. According to UGTT spokesman Sami Al-Tahri on Wednesday, the Union believes that the teachers' withholding of grades in protest is part of the legitimate struggle of the sector that began last September. Al-Tahri described the ministry's decision as a "grievance", which is "illegal and unprecedented." Taoufic Al-Shabi, Assistant Secretary-General of the University of Basic Education, said that the union is open to all options, including litigation and filing a case against the Minister of Education, Muhammad Ali Boughdiri. The minister himself has said previously that […]]]> 652109 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230713-tunisia-president-threatens-social-media-activists/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 11:06:49 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=652080 Tunisian President Kais Saied has called for an end to the "indecent assault and targeting of state apparatus" on social media, warning that activists could face prosecution. This came during a meeting held on Tuesday with Minister of Communication Technologies, Nizar Ben Neji, the presidency said in a statement. Saied criticised "the use of social media platforms to spread false news, rumours and insults, as well as slander and defamation, which have begun to affect a number of officials within state agencies with the aim of causing confusion and introducing suspicion in official bodies and officials." Saied added that the platforms have turned into "tools" used by well-known circles at home and abroad to strike Tunisia's national security, spread violence, […]]]> 652080 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230712-tunisia-rights-groups-call-for-immediate-release-of-political-detainees/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 09:34:08 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651615 A consortium of Tunisian organisations and personalities yesterday called for the immediate release of "political detainees" detained on charges of "conspiring against state security". This came in a joint statement issued by 11 organisations, including the Tunisian Human Rights League, Al-Bawsala Association and the Resilience Coalition and 20 personalities and human rights activists, including renowned philosopher and anthropologist, Youssef Siddiq, and the former head of the elections commission, Kamal Jendoubi. The signatories called on the Tunisian judiciary to assume its constitutional role in "protecting rights and freedoms, respecting evidence of innocence, and enabling them to have fair trials." They also demanded the executive authority not to interfere with the judiciary and to stop broadcasting a discourse that further divides Tunisians […]]]> 651615 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-tunisia-moves-hundreds-of-migrants-from-desolate-border-area/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 16:22:29 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651558 Tunisia has moved hundreds of migrants to shelters in two towns, a local rights group said on Tuesday, after criticism of conditions in a desolate Sahara military area on the border with Libya, where the government transferred them last week, Reuters reports. Struggling with high numbers of mainly sub-Saharan African migrants seeking to leave the North African country for Europe, President Kais Saied has responded with measures local and international rights groups say are endangering lives. "Hundreds of people who were on the Libyan border were transferred finally to shelter centres in Medenine and Tataouine towns after difficult times they spent there in the intense heat", Ramadan Ben Omar, an official at the non-governmental Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social […]]]> 651558 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230711-calls-to-rescue-migrants-after-tunisia-transfers-them-to-libya-algeria-borders/ Tue, 11 Jul 2023 10:37:30 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=651329 A human rights organisation yesterday called on the Tunisian government to intervene urgently to help dozens of migrants who were expelled from the city of Sfax, in the southeast of the country, and transferred to border areas with Libya and Algeria. In a statement, the Bayti organisation said human rights defenders, non-governmental organisations and government institutions must "coordinate efforts and pool resources" to take care of immigrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The organisation continued: "For days, we have been witnessing in the Sfax region, where there are migrants who were abandoned and are living under real threat and pursuit that reached the point of their expulsion and deportation to the outskirts of the desert." Last week, Sfax witnessed bloody clashes between immigrants […]]]> 651329 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230709-boat-sinking-off-tunisia-leaves-one-dead-at-least-10-migrants-missing/ Sun, 09 Jul 2023 12:33:58 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650656 At least 10 Tunisian migrants were missing and one died after their boat sank off Tunisia as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, a judicial official said on Sunday, reports Reuters. Tunisia is facing an unprecedented migration crisis and has replaced Libya as a main departure point for people fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East in the hope of a better life in Europe. The latest tragedy raises the number of dead and missing off the North African country's coasts to more than 600 in the first half of 2023, far more than in any previous year, according to figures compiled by Reuters. Tunisia's coastguard rescued 11 people from the boat, which set off from the […]]]> 650656 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-basic-education-union-denounces-dismissal-of-150-principals/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 12:02:35 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650580 The Basic Education Union in Tunisia denounced the decision by the Minister of Education to dismiss 150 school principals from their positions, considering it a "targeting of union work." According to Anadolu Agency, this came in a press conference held by the union's general secretary, Nabil Hawashi, on Friday in the capital, Tunis. Hawashi confirmed: "40 out of 150 school principals were dismissed from their positions who have union status. Their dismissal targets union work and attempts to abuse teachers and portray them as rebels and outlaws." Hawashi stressed they will: "Uphold the teachers' demands, which I believe are legitimate."The past academic year witnessed a crisis between the Ministry of Education and the union, during which negotiations between the two […]]]> 650580 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230708-ennahda-condemns-detention-of-leader-subhi-ateeq/ Sat, 08 Jul 2023 10:45:03 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650514 Tunisia's Ennahda Movement on Friday condemned the continued detention of its senior leader, former MP Sahbi Ateeq, after being acquitted of "trumped-up charges". Ateeq was detained on 13 May, starting an open-ended hunger strike three days later in protest against his detention. Lawyer Samir Dilou explained two days ago that Ateeq's health has severely deteriorated after 53 days of hunger strike, stressing that he is currently "between life and death". In a statement posted on its Facebook page, Ennahda condemned the continued closure of its central headquarters despite the end of the judicial inspection and the prevention of meetings at its regional offices. The statement renewed the movement's condemnation of the attack on freedoms, the prosecution of political opponents and […]]]> 650514 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20230707-rights-group-urges-tunisia-to-halt-collective-expulsion-of-african-migrants/ Fri, 07 Jul 2023 13:50:10 +0000 Middle East Monitor https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/?p=650416 Tunisia should halt collective expulsions of sub-Saharan African migrants and urgently enable access to humanitarian services for those the government sent to a dangerous area of the Tunisia-Libya border, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on Thursday, Reuters reports. Tunisia has removed hundreds of migrants to a desolate area along the border, a Tunisian rights group and a lawmaker said on Wednesday, with witnesses reporting dozens more put on outbound trains following days of violence. Disturbances between migrants and residents went on for a week in the port of Sfax, and one Tunisian was killed. Residents complained of disorderly behaviour by migrants and migrants complained of racist harassment. Thousands of undocumented migrants have flocked to Sfax in recent months with the goal of setting […]]]> 650416