Shifting Alliances in Libya’s Conflict
The main development in Libya’s stalemate over the last three weeks has been the offensive against the so-called “Islamic State” group in Sirte led (officially) by forces under the command of Faize Serraj’s Presidency Council. Reports from the field indicate...
Tunisia: Hizb ut-Tahrir Prevented from Holding its Annual Congress
Tunisian authorities prevented Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir from holding its annual congress meeting in Tunis, on 4 June. Hedi Majdoub, the interior minister, justified the decision on security grounds and that the Tahrir Party represented a threat to stability and...
Ennahdha’s 10th Congress Promise
“We are leaving political Islam and entering democratic Islam. We are Muslim democrats who no longer claim to represent political Islam,” announced Rached Ghannouchi to Le Monde ahead of the party’s 10th congress, held on 20-22 May, at Hamamet. The...
Still Turning Around in Libya
Faize Serraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) continues to face strong resistance from the Tobruk-based House of Representatives (HoR). On 16 May, HoR president Aguila Saleh reiterated his call for Serraj’s Presidency Council (PC) to travel to Tobruk and seek...
Tunisia: How Extreme Secularism Feeds Religious Extremism
A proposal by the Tunisian minster of religious affairs to organise a Quran teaching course for pupils during the summer holidays triggered a new round of tensions and media polarisation among Tunisians. Secularists took to media outlets denouncing another attempt,...
Tunisia: Beji Caid Essebsi Halts Constitutional Amendment, for Now
Soufian Toubal, a member of the National Assembly in the Nidaa Tounes bloc announced that his party was in the consultations with experts within the legal committee of the assembly to amend laws 32 and 33, in order to grant...
Libya: International Support is not Enough for Sarraj to Hold Tripoli
On Wednesday 30 March, Faiz al-Sarraj, president-designate of the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) arrived in Bu-Setta naval base in Tripoli. Sarraj’s arrival was secured by Misratan armed groups, especially Al Nawasi and the Tripoli-based Rada’a militia. Nouri Bousahmin,...
Faiz al-Sarraj’s GNA moving to Tripoli “within days”
The political deadlock persists in Libya with Faiz al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) unable to move from Tunis to Tripoli, despite al-Sarraj’s assertion that his cabinet will move to Tripoli “within days”, and rumours of ongoing preparations to host...