Arezki Daoud
Spain Paid Ransom to Free Hostages Held by Al Qaeda North Africa
Spain has paid Al Qaeda North Africa (Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb or AQIM) some 7 million Euros to release two Spanish men abducted by the organization active in the Sahel region. Officially working for a Barcelona-based “humanitarian” agency, the two Spanish men, Roque Pascual and Albert Vilalta have been detained since November 2009.
[North Africa] Setback for a Pan-Maghreb TV Channel: Nessma TV Likely to Fold
The owners of Nessma TV are facing the nightmare scenario, challenging their belief that North Africa’s Maghreb region needed a common broadcast platform. Largely owned by Tunisian businessman Tarek Ben Ammar, Nessma TV is finding hard to operate in the region. ...
[North Africa] Al-Qaeda’s Execution of a French Hostage to Escalate Crisis in the Sahel
The recent killing, execution style, of a French hostage by Al Qaeda’s North Africa unit in Mali is expected to worsen the security situation in the Sahel and by extension North Africa and beyond. France is likely to expand its efforts to seek revenge, or bring to justice the killers of the 78 year old Michel Germaneau, in particular targeting Al Qaeda’s regional leader Abdelhamid Abuzeid....
[North Africa] Despite Global Economic Downturn, Tunisia's Economic Growth Stays in Positive Territory
Tunisia has managed somewhat to resist the effects of the world’s economic recession in 2009. ...
[Energy and Mining] Why Desertec Could Succeed
There is no doubt that the development of Desertec will be a challenge for its architects, promoters and supporters. Technical difficulties will add to financing and regulatory issues never anticipated before, further magnified by cultural differences that exist between countries involved in this giant project. But despite all the difficulties of the world, the project must succeed and there is plenty of evidence and good reasons why I think it will....
[Economy and Trade] Not a Bad Year for Some After All
Moroccan companies have released their results for fiscal 2009 and while most faced a challenging environment, a few managed to do very well. These reports look at five leading companies that are publically traded and review their 2009 financial performance....
[Corporate Affairs] HSBC in North Africa: Going Where the Money Is
In summer 2008, London-based HSBC, one of the world’s largest banking and financial services institutions decided to add Algeria to its list of emerging markets operations. Libya is likely next in line. The decision meant that as of August 2008, the giant bank entered the Algerian market where it launched what it called “a full-service bank.” But is it really a full-service bank with the goal of contributing to economic growth and development or is HSBC focused on international trade operations to enable the flow of money in and out of the country? ...
[Security and Politics] The King is Gone, Long Live the King!
For the Libyan leader Muamar Kaddafi there was a sense of déjà-vu again. His campaign to get a second term as head of the African Union collapsed, showing that like in his previous call to unify the Arabs, his latest African venture was also doomed to fail....
[Security and Politics] Government Reshuffle in Algeria: Changes in Continuity
For many, the change in leadership in Algeria's oil bureaucracy was long overdue. Political pundits have been expecting the sacking of energy minister Chekib Khelil since early 2009 when Abdelaziz Bouteflika renewed his mandate for President for a third term. For others, while expecting Khelil to get somewhat hit by the political tsunami generated by the corruption scandal that has rocked oil giant Sonatrach, they saw him as "the only international statesman Algeria had" due to his dense connections with Western decision makers in governments and businesses. This scandal, which has cost the job of the then Sonatrach CEO, Mohamed Meziane, and forced a substantial reshuffle of the company's executive management, ultimately brought down the powerful minister himself. At the end though, not too many were surprised as changes were expected a while ago. Some observers note that while the sacking of Khelil is analyzed as a bad outcome for the powerful Minister, his exit could indeed be interpreted as a blessing in disguise. Khelil's timely exit means that he will likely remain unaccountable for his questionable contribution in managing Algeria's assets and finances, amid scandals affecting the energy sector. ...
[Economy and Trade] Signs of Economic Recovery in Morocco
The Moroccan economy is showing some positive momentum after a difficult time reacting to global economic crisis. With demand from European consumers picking up, Morocco is beginning to tally some good news. Although there is some temptation to credit European consumers for this start of recovery, the biggest positive impact has no doubt been the excellent weather conditions that have had strong positive repercussion on farming. ...Author info
Arezki Daoud
Arezki Daoud is a leading analyst on North African affairs. He has been editor of The North Africa Journal since 1996. The publication reaches over 50,000 decision makers worldwide. Having lived and worked in North Africa, Mr. Daoud's analytical expertise on the region spans from the energy and industrial sectors to security and political affairs. Arezki is familiar with the speech circuit and briefing the business and government communities on the countries of the Maghreb region and is widely quoted in the press.
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