Vol 54 No 13 | MAURITANIA Abdel Aziz's uncertain grip 20th June 2013 The President has tried to help the West while not riling his own public. He faces plenty of opposition, but it is unfocused President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz returned to Nouakchott in the second week in June, following yet another medical check-up in France after being wounded in the stomach in...
Vol 54 No 12 | EGYPTETHIOPIA Gaffes on the Nile 7th June 2013 Such is the level of distrust around President Mohamed Mursi’s beleaguered government that some insiders are convinced his officials deliberately misled opposition politicians about the ‘secrecy’ of...
Vol 54 No 11 | EGYPT Brotherly love 24th May 2013 Amidst economic woes, the MB increases its presence in cabinet The second cabinet reshuffle since President Mohamed Mursi appointed Hisham Kandil Prime Minister last August further bolsters the position of the Muslim Brotherhood at the core of government....
Vol 54 No 9 | EGYPT Patience snaps over IMF 26th April 2013 Two senior Finance Ministry officials resign over the government’s continuing refusal to grasp the nettle of an IMF package Talks with the International Monetary Fund and other financiers over a US$15 billion package of assistance and structural reform continue but the Muslim Brotherhood-dominated government keeps erecting obstacles....
Vol 54 No 7 | EGYPT No cash to count on 29th March 2013 The failure of successive governments to get a grip on economic policy has left Egypt’s finances in a perilous state In November, President Mohamed Mursi decided to give priority to consolidating his power base. The economic consequences are now becoming starkly apparent. Foreign exchange reserves excluding gold are...
Vol 54 No 5 | TUNISIA Splits prolong crisis 1st March 2013 Long before opposition leader Chokri Belaïd was assassinated, the political crisis was in full flow. No end is in sight An already serious political crisis was exacerbated when gunmen killed Chokri Belaïd on 6 February and Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, from the ruling Hizb Ennahda (Renaissance Party), resigned...
Vol 54 No 4 | TUNISIA Answers needed 15th February 2013 When opposition leader Chokri Belaïd was shot dead by three masked men in a black car on 6 February, the secular opposition, the mainstream Islamist Hizb Ennahda and...
Vol 6 (AAC) No 4 | MAURITANIACHINA Victory for local fishermen 11th February 2013 A US$100 million investment in Mauritania is in the balance after the Nouakchott authorities suspended a contract with a Chinese fishery. Officials from the Ministry of Fishing and...
Vol 54 No 2 | MAURITANIA Nouakchott on the spot 18th January 2013 Under pressure from both the jihadists and France, President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz is fast losing all semblance of neutrality. For now, his position seems secure but the...
Vol 54 No 2 | LIBYA Not so open for business 18th January 2013 The government is drifting and so is business, which is deterring investment Although the Libyan economy is returning to life – with the oil sector in the lead – planning is not. Despite the pressing need to rebuild, little is...