Arezki Daoud
Not a Happy New Year for All
As many of us prepare to take a break to celebrate the new year, things may be different for so many people around the world. The Ammeri family in Tunisia will end 2010 in mourning and sadness. Their 18-year old son Mohamed is no longer with them, dead after being allegedly shot by the anti-riot police in Menzel Bouzaiene during this past weekend. At the same time, in neighboring Algeria, riots broke out in Diar Echems, Oued Ouchayah and Baraki near the capital where thousands have been protesting about the misery of their housing conditions and a relocation program gone arye. And so as we close the year, North Africa’s economic gains and growing money reserves seem to serve no clear purpose for the general public and the average citizen. Discontent is widespread and authorities continue to miss the point. Their longer-term survival, historical legacies and the way history will judge them will be linked directly to the performance of the economy under their watch, not just in terms of GDP growth measurements and daily statistics that the IMF likes to rehash but in terms of improving basic living conditions of those they govern.
[North Africa] The Good and the Bad
2010 has come and gone and it is time for a quick reality check on where the Maghreb’s economy stands as we greet 2011. The good news first: broadly speaking, the region is getting wealthier. Despite their slow pace, national economies continued to grow in 2010 and managed to face the global economic crisis relatively well. Morocco and Tunisia were on track reforming several sectors to remain competitive; Algeria and Libya continued to benefit from sustained demand for oil and gas, fueling their own infrastructure investment projects. ...
[Audio-Video] Podcasts Discuss North African Issues
The North Africa Journal announces its 2010 year-end audio podcast series. The podcasts are available for free to listeners who can either download the MP3 files or listen streaming online....
[Security and Politics] Army seals off Tunisian town after fatal violence [Video]
18-year old protestor Mohamed Ammeri was killed and others injured when Tunisia's police opened fire on protesters in Menzel Bouzaiene over the weekend. The state-controlled news outlet TAP says the police were forced to use their weapons in self-defense after "a group of individuals set ablaze a railway engine and set fire to three National Guard vehicles before raiding the city's National Guard station."...[News] Deputy Editor Alessandro Bruno to Tour Southern Europe
The North Africa Journal is pleased to announce that Deputy Editor and Senior Analyst on African and Middle Easters affairs Alessandro Bruno will tour Southern Europe in the first half of January 2011. ...
[Finance and Banking] Inside the Tunisian Leasing Sector
[The North Africa Journal] The Tunisian leasing sector currently boasts 10 active companies competing for the market. Most of them are bank subsidiaries which have been set up in the 1990’s in a move to take advantage of a nascent activity which is, after all, a familiar activity for a banker and can be easily integrated in the banks’ main business. ...[Security and Politics] The Big Jelly Ball of Global Insecurity
Select the analysis of your interest below. Click on an image to download the full analysis....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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