The North Africa Journal: Podcasts Libya and the ICC: In the Pursuit of Justice? ================================================================================ Leila Hanafi on 15 May, 2012 12:45:00 The North Africa Journal | By Leila Hanafi | The ongoing post-conflict reconstruction process in Libya is reigniting a crucial debate among transitional justice advocates as to the role the International Criminal Court (ICC) can play in delivering justice and redress to victims of grave crimes. In the midst of the February 2011 revolution, the ICC opened an investigation into crimes allegedly committed in Libya, based on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1970. The Court has to date issued three arrest warrants for Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi, Abdullah Al-Senussi and Muammar Gaddafi. The warrant against Muammar Gaddafi was withdrawn following his death, while Al-Islam Gaddafi is currently detained in Libya and Al-Senussi in Mauritania. Neither has been turned over to the ICC. The Libyan National Transitional Council (NTC) has asserted that it wishes to try these men in Libya, while France has declared its intention to purse Al-Senussi’s extradition for earlier alleged crimes. However, the ICC, along with many human rights groups nationally and internationally, question Libya’s capacity to conduct fair trials against these high profile individuals. Legislative Elections: Algeria Takes Three Steps Backward ================================================================================ Arezki Daoud on 13 May, 2012 02:24:00 The North Africa Journal | The expression “the People Have Chosen” does not apply to Algeria’s legislative elections held last week. And judging by the winners, it’s going to be business as usual for the incoming rubber-stamping assembly. France’s New President: Foreign Policy and Where North Africa Stands ================================================================================ Arezki Daoud on 09 May, 2012 09:30:00 The North Africa Journal | President-elect François Hollande of France has his work cut out on the foreign policy front. His predecessor is leaving office with a sense of missed achievements and a series of policies blunders that need urgent fixing. In a five-year period, Sarkozy failed to leverage appropriately and responsibly his country’s global leadership position as a major economic and military power. That started with his failure to impose a more assertive France on the burning issues of the Euro-zone and the serious topic of the future of Europe. The Rise of North Africans in French Politics ================================================================================ Arezki Daoud on 08 May, 2012 05:59:00 The North Africa Journal | Seeking to discredit his opponent during the Presidential race in France, outgoing President Nicholas Sarkozy stated on April 27, 2012 that François Hollande has received support from 700 Muslim clerics operating in France. Blinded by a bad attitude vis-a-vis North Africans and Sub-Sahara Africans in general, bordering xenophobia, Sarkozy may have lost precisely because he alienated a substantial minority block that is becoming key to French politics, somewhat akin to the Hispanic vote in US elections. Debt Crisis in the Moroccan Subsidy System: Undesirable Gift for Islamist PM ================================================================================ The North Africa Journal on 29 April, 2012 02:40:00 There is a bumpy road ahead for the new government leader in Rabat. As he enters his offices, energized by a fresh electoral victory with the prospect of governing a nation, Prime Minister Entrance has to deal with the country’s finances, and what he sees does not please him. Algeria vs. Morocco: And the Tit-for-Tat Goes On ================================================================================ Yasmine Wozniak on 26 April, 2012 09:00:00 The North Africa Journal | Moroccans and Algerians love to hate each other. I am not talking about the people, who are exactly the same in identity, ethnicity, religion and customs and have only respect for one another, but about their governments and leaders, who continue to feud and refuse to face up to the geo-strategic realities of the region today. Libya: Not out of the Woods Yet ================================================================================ Redouane Benmehdi on 26 April, 2012 01:17:00 The North Africa Journal | Libya is not out of the woods yet. And for those who think solutions to its multi-faceted crises are near, they should reconsider their views very carefully. It is certain that for a few multinational companies, the time is right to re-engage. With a country that has so much oil and gas, the time is always right to engage. North Africa: A Fast Evolving Landscape ================================================================================ Arezki Daoud on 22 April, 2012 11:06:00 We felt rather guilty for releasing to you an 80+ page issue. For a moment we thought we should split it into two installments, but here’s the problem: North Africa is a never ending source of critical matters at this very important junction of its history. The news and fast developing stories keep on pouring at such a speed that they inevitably require large amounts of reporting. Algeria: The Difficult Birth of a Moderate Islamist Political Coalition ================================================================================ Arezki Daoud on 03 April, 2012 05:45:00 While Islamists in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt have made inroads in the area of governance, and are currently being tested, their Algerian counterparts still remain largely in the opposition. Energized by the outcome of the various elections in the region, Algeria’s various legal Islamist parties seem to be working to coordinate a common approach. But a closer look at their position reveals that they are in competition against one another for leadership as Algerians get closer to their May 2012 election season. Algerians and Moroccans Use Cyber Attacks to Settle their Political Feuds ================================================================================ Nasima Alli on 28 March, 2012 11:53:00 The North Africa Journal | In the evening of November 8, 2011, nearly 200 Moroccan companies and other institutions were the targets of cyber attacks. The exact figure was not confirmed but the event led to the defacing of corporate and institutional websites, making them virtually useless for a short while. What was interesting in this wave of websites defacing was the widespread sentiment that the authors of the attacks were from Algeria. What’s also interesting was the fact that Algerian sites were also the targets of attacks earlier, in the morning of Tuesday and so the cyber attacks against Morocco were of a retaliatory nature. Among the Algerian institutions that faced a cyber attack early Tuesday was the Algerian Tax Department (Direction Générale des Impôts or DGI).