A Tumultuous North Africa
[The North Africa Journal | By Arezki Daoud] It is no business as usual in North Africa. Two dictators have been toppled, a civil war is underway, wind of reform is seemingly sweeping across the region with a highly unpredictable outcome. The volatility of the situation means that the hope of democracy and progress that one felt one day, turns into despair and stress the following.
The euphoria that followed the ousting of Ben Ali of Tunisia and Mubarak of Egypt quickly turned into a disaster. The revolution continued on but with a deep sense of desperation settling as Libya went down the path of a protracted civil war. The situation there is what we predicted to be the less likely case scenario for that country, the impossible one to happen in fact. As the Jasmine Revolution of Tunisia subsided, we went on record to state that Libya was sheltered and Gaddafi will go on forever and ever. Our assumption was that the tribal profile of Libya and Gaddafi’s deep pockets will enable a forced peace in Libya. How wrong we were. Although we knew Benghazi and eastern Libya could be the scene of protests, we could not see those events spiral out of control as is the case now. In our latest issue [click here to access], we discuss the Libyan crisis and what Muamar Gaddafi is doing to wage his war on his people.
Meanwhile, we thought Algeria and Morocco were more vulnerable than Libya, and should have been the two countries to watch. While we continue to believe that the wind of change is also sweeping through these two countries, it is happening with less drama than elsewhere. In this issue, we deconstruct the speech of the Moroccan King who has pledged to enact fresh reforms and constitutional changes. While we are hopeful that the reformation process in Morocco and Algeria will take place peacefully, there is the possibility that the speeches and actions taken so far are only for window dressing to temporize and appease the population as the dust settles.
As the revolutions are waged, the roles played by various groups will be progressively unveiled and in this issue we report about the role of the Tunisian military in the end of the Ben Ali regime. There is also the collateral damage happening along the way and the corporate world is not immune. In this issue we look at how international corporations have been coping with the crisis and their likely posture in the future as they reassess their investments in Middle East North Africa. We also look at how one of these companies, France Telecom got unwillingly dragged into the forefront after being accused of corporate wrongdoing during its purchase of a mobile phone license in Tunisia.
Speaking of collateral damage, Nasima Alli writes about the fading concept of a Maghreb Union, yet some positive news is coming from Algiers and Rabat, while Dr. Samir Garbaya assesses the role of social networks in the ongoing revolutions.
Over the next weeks, months and years North Africa will undergo substantial transformation and we plan to be there to report back to you.
As usual, we welcome your opinions, views and analysis. Please feel free to send us your notes through our contact form or at daoud@north-africa.com
Best regards,
Arezki Daoud
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Comments (2 posted):
The essence of its existence was set out to serve the French colonialists in order to stabilize and exploit Moroccan natural resources.
The mission for the Moroccan Monarchy was defined by Gen. Lyauty himself.
So, the Monarchy is at the service of French (who hold over 60% of Morocco, the rest for the King (The Arch)).That's all.
We are witnessing the emergence of a vibrant and modern Democratic Algeria the whole world will embrace with great pride and joy . . .
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