Kais Saied

Tunisia
Surprise clash erupts between Kais Saied and his provisional magistrates high council

The Higher Council of the Magistrature plans to appoint judges dismissed by Kais Saied as court presidents. This would qualify them to become members of the future new Constitutional Court, something which Saied wants to avoid at all costs.

Tunisia
Pentagon strengthens ties with the army despite the diplomatic crisis

The diplomatic stand-off between Joe Biden's administration and President Kais Saied has not prevented the US army from strengthening ties with the Tunisian military. #Tunisia

Morocco, Tunisia
Rabat seeks stronger signs from Tunis before making peace

Morocco and Tunisia are slowly settling their differences, but the kingdom wants Tunis to take some concrete steps before it is willing to make amends.

Africa
Félix Tshisekedi, Faustin Archange Touadéra, Kais Saied, Adama Sangaré

Intrigues big and small... every Tuesday, Africa Intelligence takes a peek into the corridors of power in Africa and beyond.

Tunisia
Taïeb Baccouche in no man's land at the AMU after the Tunis-Rabat crisis

The mandate of the Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) expired at the end of August. In the midst of the diplomatic crisis between Morocco and Tunisia, Taïeb Baccouche sent a request to the five member states for an extension of his mandate.

Africa, Japan
Key attendees pull out of TICAD

The Japanese PM will not travel to Tunis for TICAD due to Covid. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has cancelled his visit and his Senegalese counterpart, Macky Sall, is considering doing the same, as are other leaders.

Tunisia
Energy minister Neila Gonji gets serious about renewables

Faced with rocketing gas prices, Tunisia's industry and energy minister will be concentrating after the summer recess on kick-starting the many solar and wind power projects that have nominally been launched in recent years but have so far come to nothing.

Spotlight | Africa, Japan, Tunisia
Japanese diplomats scramble to shore up their TICAD Africa aid summit in Tunis

Japanese diplomats are busy preparing the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development to be held next month in Tunis. Japan has been promoting the event but there have been shortcomings in its organisation despite Tokyo's ambitious objectives for the continent.

Tunisia
UGTT union unable to unite over Kais Saied's referendum

The numerous political factions within the main Tunisian worker's union, UGTT, are making it hard to give its members any sort of instruction on how to vote on the constitutional referendum scheduled on 25 July.

Libya, Tunisia
Security equipment dealer Jean Ruiz arrested in Tunis on way to Tripoli

Tunisian investigators suspect the French national Jean Ruiz of trying to bring communication jammers manufactured by the Chinese firm Hytera into Libya, and perhaps even Tunisia, without authorisation.

Tunisia
German President tries to re-establish contact between Kais Saied and G7 countries

The EU and the ambassadors of the G7 countries are trying to arrange a joint meeting with Tunisian president Kais Saied to preserve contact with Carthage Palace while the head of state is in the process of finalising the draft of the new constitution.

Tunisia
One month before referendum, election body struggles to hire

Ahead of July's constitutional referendum, the entity that manages ballots in Tunisia, is on a recruitment drive. Potential poll monitors and organisers, however, are hardly lining up for the work.

The New Guard
South Africa, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Tunisia

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

South Africa Geordin Hill-Lewis, mayor and rising opposition social-media star

Nigeria Dozy Mmobuosi, leading tech titan

Zimbabwe Simbarashe Gwenzi, youth ambassador from Harare to Addis

Tunisia Sayida Ounissi, former Ennahda MP and thorn in Saied's side

Tunisia
Energy minister Neila Gonji pushes industry towards renewable electricity

The Tunisian government, which is under pressure from its lenders and high gas prices, is trying to speed up construction of new wind and solar power plants, particularly those destined to supply electricity to cement and other industrial producers.