First Independent Mena Newspaper
Can we still talk about a monopoly of the information with the expanse of social networking? Before 1454, the date the first printing press was created, only the elite had access to information. By spreading and vulgarizing knowledge, the rotary press became a pioneer of social equality. An ideal that is not lost. And social […]
Global rating agency Fitch has affirmed Morocco’s Long-term foreign currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) at ‘BBB-‘, Long-term local currency IDR at ‘BBB’, and Short-term foreign currency IDR at ‘F3’. The agency has also given the North African Kingdom a “stable outlook” and affirmed the country ceiling at ‘BBB’. Morocco’s ‘BBB-‘ rating is supported by a […]
Interview with Sadi Shanaah, an influential Czech-Palestinian political analyst and director of INSAAN – ‘Czech-Arab Centre for Cultural Dialogue’, about the roots of the Egyptian revolution, potential failure of Western media and U.S. support to the region. Mr. Shanaah, a special advisor for the Middle East to Mitt Romney‘s presidential campaign, Walid Pharees, says that […]
In May 2012, leaders of the G8 countries met in France in order to discuss an eventual support of the ongoing revolutionary processes of the Arab Spring. Although a number of countries have already helped financially or otherwise, the current amounts of aid implicitly suggest that another Marshall Plan in not going to take place. […]
The private equity sector in Morocco and Tunisia has received a $ 26.1 million grant from the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development (EBRD) to support the development of the private equity market in two North African countries, rocked by the Arab Spring. The financial assistance will also serve to rev up equity funding for […]
After its crucial role in the uprisings in the Arab world, internet and facebook occupy a growing ground in MENA region. Tunisia’s Jasmine revolution, which forced President Ben Ali to step down, proved that internet and facebook were the fastest way to communicate and spread news (videos, photos, tweetts articles and even political comments.) A […]
The creation of a new post of EU Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean Region in July 2011 symbolizes the importance the region has gained in European eyes. Focusing specifically on the Maghreb, there are a number of reasons why it is vital for the Union to engage closely with this region located on its […]
The last few days have set off the alarms of a radical Islamist winter hijacking some promising landscapes of the “Arab Spring”. The murder of US Ambassador Christopher Stevens in Benghazi (Libya), as well as the attacks on western diplomatic missions across the Middle East and North Africa, have brought the threat of radicalisation to […]
Before the Soviet Union controlled the former republics of Central Asia, Sufi brotherhoods dominated the religious scene in Chechnya, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. However, the Soviet policy toward Islam drove these Sufi groups underground for fear of persecution. In the aftermath of the fall of the Soviet bloc, legions of radical Islamists filled the gap left […]
Tunisia’s president, Moncef Marzouki, has voiced concerns over insecurity in the region as he claims that Islamist militants linked to Al-Qaeda are moving towards North Africa from Southwest Asia. He blames their migration on the lack of policing of the Sahara desert by North African countries which heavily dominates the southern part of the region. […]