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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.
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[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. ...
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[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....
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[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. ...
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[North Africa] Tunisian Journalist Must Be Freed

North Africa is facing a dangerous period for press freedom and objective reporting. Governments continue or have recently launched fresh attacks against journalists who report their observations of the facts on the ground based on their independent views. From Morocco's crackdown on any discussion over the Western Sahara conflict to Tunisia's sustained harassment of reporters, there is no shortage of bad news from the region. Newspapers are punished for having a different view, and reporters jailed without a serious due process. ...
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[North Africa] Immigration in France: “No Inner City is Above the Law,” Sarkozy

During a recent visit at the French Prefecture in a Seine Saint-Denis suburb, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his unwavering support to Christian Lambert recently elected as new Prefect (equivalent to Governor) of the Seine-Saint-Denis’ Department, setting forth his intent to implement strict anti-juvenile laws, imposing stiff penalties to those that would skip class or create disorder at school. The issue is of high interest to the immigrant communities in France, in particular North Africans who may be the first targets of upcoming measures....
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[North Africa] North Africa Security Assessment and Business Outlook Briefing

Concord, MA: The North Africa Journal is pleased to announce the holding of a breakfast briefing in Washington DC on June 17, 2010 that would provide an assessment of the state of security in North Africa, along with a business outlook. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to interact with leading experts on North African affairs, Arezki Daoud and Alessandro Bruno. ...
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[North Africa] Dubai’s Illusive Dream and Impact on North Africa: Seeing through the Arabian Mirage

Ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi once said “a country is never as poor as when it seems filled with riches,” and that may be very true for Dubai....
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[North Africa] Capturing Business Opportunities in North Africa While Avoiding Risk

The North Africa Journal is pleased to provide a free presentation on how to capture business opportunities in North Africa while avoiding risk....
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[North Africa] Irrational Behavior

I certainly don’t want to minimize the difficulty facing the Algerians and Egyptians as they dance around the crisis that came out of a football match this week. But I predict that it will soon be water under the bridge. ...
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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.
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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.
image

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.
image

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.
image

Tunisian Journalist Must Be Freed

North Africa is facing a dangerous period for press freedom and objective reporting. Governments continue or have recently launched fresh attacks against journalists who report their observations of the facts on the ground based on their independent views. From Morocco's crackdown on any discussion over the Western Sahara conflict to Tunisia's sustained harassment of reporters, there is no shortage of bad news from the region. Newspapers are punished for having a different view, and reporters jailed without a serious due process.
image

Immigration in France: “No Inner City is Above the Law,” Sarkozy

During a recent visit at the French Prefecture in a Seine Saint-Denis suburb, French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his unwavering support to Christian Lambert recently elected as new Prefect (equivalent to Governor) of the Seine-Saint-Denis’ Department, setting forth his intent to implement strict anti-juvenile laws, imposing stiff penalties to those that would skip class or create disorder at school. The issue is of high interest to the immigrant communities in France, in particular North Africans who may be the first targets of upcoming measures.
image

North Africa Security Assessment and Business Outlook Briefing

Concord, MA: The North Africa Journal is pleased to announce the holding of a breakfast briefing in Washington DC on June 17, 2010 that would provide an assessment of the state of security in North Africa, along with a business outlook. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to interact with leading experts on North African affairs, Arezki Daoud and Alessandro Bruno.
image

Dubai’s Illusive Dream and Impact on North Africa: Seeing through the Arabian Mirage

Ancient Chinese philosopher Laozi once said “a country is never as poor as when it seems filled with riches,” and that may be very true for Dubai.
image

Capturing Business Opportunities in North Africa While Avoiding Risk

The North Africa Journal is pleased to provide a free presentation on how to capture business opportunities in North Africa while avoiding risk.
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Spain Coming Opportunity for Leadership in the Mediterranean

Owing to booming oil revenues and aggressive sovereign wealth funds, rich Gulf countries have been leading the way as foreign investors in North Africa since 2003, as well as in the southern Mediterranean zone, displacing western investors. But the ongoing global economic crisis appears to be reshuffling the cards once again. The southern Med (SoMed) region is also hit by the financial turmoil that started in the US market. As such, foreign direct investments (FDI) moving into SoMed dropped by an estimated 40% in 2008 in value terms to settle at €35.5 billion, according to ANIMA Investment Network.
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Featured author
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Colin Kilkelly

Colin Kilkelly specialises in the Maghreb and is based in Marrakech, Morocco. He has worked in Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco and Mauritania. Previously he has lived and worked in Pakistan where he was Regional Director for South Magazine, and has visited frequently since then. He interviewed President Musharraf on 3 occasions for Pakistan Special Reports in FIRST Magazine, and has written for Blue Chip Magazine based in Islamabad. He recently wrote the UKTI (UK Government Department for Trade and Investment) folders for commercial investment into Morocco, Pakistan and Libya. He is editor of the Marrakech based on-line English language magazine Yacout Info, which has been publishing since July 2008. He is also a correspondent for the North Africa Journal. He is a member of the Middle East Association(MEA) London.
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