2019 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 December 2019 The Polisario Opens a Front in the Battle for the Resources of Western Sahara Khadija Mohsen-Finan · December 2019 Morocco shamelessly exploits the resources of Western Sahara, sometimes through companies belonging to King Mohamed VI in person. But the Polisario Front has decided to take the issue to court and is waging international battles, calling these companies to task. Faced with a status quo (…) Turkey and its Borders: Darkness at Noon Pierre-Yves Baillet · December 2019 Faithful to its policy of “zero problems”, Turkey is set on becoming a regional power capable of capturing markets close at hand—as in Iraqi Kurdistan. Yet Ankara is still waging a low-intensity war against the Syrian Kurds and the PKK, justified by a nostalgic vision of a mythicised past. (…) Anti-Semitism. Orchestrated Offensive against Jeremy Corbyn in the UK Jonathan Cook · December 2019 For months, a campaign has been aimed at destabilising British Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, accused of anti-Semitism. The right-wing party, Tony Blair’s heir, and pro-Israel circles are targeting both Corbyn’s left-wing line and his support for the Palestinian people. Britain’s (…) Algeria: An Unpopular Election Zaouia Meriem-Benziane · December 2019 The army, which actually rules the country, has taken a tougher stand against the protests and the opposition. Many Hirak leaders and journalists have been geoled in the run-up to a presidential election which most Algerians plan to boycott. On 28 November, a gathering of women was held on (…) Chile, a Testing Ground for Israeli Weapons Ramona Wadi · December 2019 Both right-wing and left-wing Chilean governments have not renounced the military and judicial legacy of Augusto Pinochet’s dictatorship (1973-1990). Israel contributes to their fight against the Mapuche indigenous populations by providing them with weapons and training. Chile’s criminalization (…) November 2019 Syrian Refugees in Lebanon: A Challenge for the Social Movement Adèle Surprenant · November 2019 Targeted by restrictive laws and the butt of hostility on the part of sections of the population, many Syrian refugees in Lebanon sympathise with the ongoing social movement. Some of the protestors are calling for their rights to be respected but the political class continues demanding their (…) The Arab Revolutions in Historical Perspective Alain Gresh, Jean-Pierre Sereni · November 2019 Once again, from Algeria to Iraq, the peoples of the Arab world are in open rebellion. What are the stumbling blocks that stand in the way of their aspirations? How does history shed light on the present situation? We are witnessing the second wave of protest and rebellion in the Arab word. (…) Egypt: The Economy Is Better Off Than the Egyptians Jean-Pierre Sereni · November 2019 Three years after signing an agreement with the IMF worth 12 billion dollars (9.3 billion pounds sterling), the Egyptian economy is showing respectable results in many sectors, such as growth, inflation and unemployment but the population has hardly benefited from this. The greediness of the (…) British Policy in Mesopotamia (April 1916-March 1917) Kristian Coates Ulrichsen · November 2019 British and Indian troops occupied Basra in November 1914 in order to safeguard the oil interests of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company (later British Petroleum) at nearby Abadan and to protect the strategic flank of the vital land and sea routes to India. Expecting neither a prolonged engagement nor (…) Tunisia. For President Kais Saied, Democracy Can Be a New Idea Thierry Brésillon · November 2019 Kais Saied’s election as President of Tunisia has refuelled the civic energy in a population disappointed by the results of the democratic transition. With his plans for a “new construction” he means to renew the bond between state and society give substance to the notion of popular sovereignty. (…) ‟We are free to speak Algerian” Nabil Mansouri · November 2019 The current uprising of the Algerian people, which began on last February 2 was like a kick in the anthill. The rebellious citizens not only gave the Algerian political system a jolt but also foregrounded the issue of the use of the Algerian dialect. On Thursday evening 12 March, President (…) October 2019 Lebanon. When Domestic Workers Take Over the Words of the Masters Micheline Tobia · October 2019 Tens of thousands of migrant domestic workers work in Lebanon. For them, learning Arabic becomes a tool for empowerment and freedom. It’s a quiet and hot Sunday afternoon in August. Streets are empty, far from Beirut’s usual hustle and bustle. In Ashrafieh, however, an apartment is packed, (…) Qatar: Farming Ambitions Detrimental to the Environment Sebastian Castelier · October 2019 Seriously affected by the diplomatic crisis that has divided the Gulf countries since 2017, Qatar brandishes its determination to achieve food self-sufficiency as a political riposte at the risk of durably depleting its precious subsoil hydraulic resources. A stone’s throw from the Qatar (…) The Turkish Invasion of Syria: New Hope for Jihadists Chris den Hond · October 2019 As soon as President Donald Trump ordered the withdrawal of US troops operating in northern Syria, Turkey launched an offensive against a region dominated by Arab-Kurdish militias. In order to shed light on the geopolitical aspects of this invasion, Orient XXI met Salih Muslim, spokesman of the (…) Somalia: A Country Up for Grabs? Brendon Novel · October 2019 Situated as it is in a coveted geopolitical location, Somalia has become, in a scant ten years, a territory wooed by many powerful countries. Among these, Qatar and the United Emirates stand out particularly, as they have been waging a battle of influence there that has had dire consequences on (…) The Uyghur Tragedy: An Embarrassment for Turkey Bayram Balci · October 2019 An ethnic group close to the Turks through religion, language and ethnicity, the Uighurs of China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Region are subjected to fierce and systematic repression which, with almost international indifference, has already placed more than one million of its members in “re-education (…) An Israel Lobby Is Still Sniping At Anti-Zionism Dominique Vidal · October 2019 The author of the widely discussed book Antisionisme=Antisémitisme? Réponse à Emmanuel Macron, Libertalia, 2018, Dominique Vidal takes another look at the campaign launched by the Conseil représentatif des institutions juives de France (CRIF) and its president Francis Kalifat in their attempt to (…) Justice for Jamal Khashoggi Alain Gresh, Agnès Callamard · October 2019 On the occasion of Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Saudi Arabia, we republish an interview with Agnès Callamard, then UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions (now Secretary General of Amnesty International), conducted in October 2019. The French president will meet with Saudi Crown Prince (…) September 2019 Who are These “Jihadists” Who Are Defeating the French Army in the Sahel? Rémi Carayol · September 2019 The French army is bogged down in the Sahel. Despite its occasional victory communiqués, the fighting has spread to more countries in the region. These failures originate in Paris’s inability to understand what is at stake politically, or the motivations of the hundreds of young men who are (…) Tunisia. Presidential Election in a Fog Thierry Brésillon · September 2019 There is tension in the air with the start of the presidential campaign. Seldom has an election seemed so open. In choosing their president, Tunisians will also be defining his institutional role. Anyone who can name the next president of Tunisia is clever indeed, or even name the two run-off (…) Tourism in Turkey at the Mercy of Security Issues Néhémie Strupler · September 2019 With its beautiful monuments, landscapes, seashores and grandiose archaeologic sites, the Sublime Porte has, for the last fifteen years considerably stepped up its efforts to develop mass tourism. These were successful until 2015, when a series of events occurred during three “bleak years” to (…) August 2019 Who Owns Jerusalem? Suleiman Mourad · August 2019 Since Israel’s occupation of Jerusalem in 1967, the issue of “ownership” of the city has been a bitter conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli communities. It has major political, religious, social and legal consequences. In recent decades, many Israeli governments and Zionist (…) Yemen. A Misleading Withdrawal From the Emirates Helen Lackner · August 2019 The United Arab Emirates has announced the withdrawal of its forces from Yemen. But behind the statements, there is a desire to find a new strategy to emerge from an endless war, which is not without tensions with the Saudi ally. Once again military developments have brought Yemen back to (…) Jean-Paul Sartre and Arab Existentialism: Ships that Passed in the Night Sarra Grira · August 2019 Yoav Di-Capua teaches history at Princeton University. At the end of 2018 he published No Exit: Arab Existentialism, Jean-Paul Sartre and Decolonization in which he describes the little-known history of Arab existentialism. He shows how the philosopher’s pro-Israeli stance during the war of June (…) Occupied Palestine. Promoting Tourism in the Settlements Anna Mutelet, Annabelle Martella · August 2019 Israeli settlers have gotten into the habit of playing host to visiting tourists. But this facade of hospitality conceals a political goal: prettify the image of the colonies and the occupation. Mount Gerizim is a peaceful spot, still a bit wild, covered with greenery and flowers brimming (…) Lebanon. A Hateful Crusade against Syrian and Palestinian Refugees Anna Mukhamedov · August 2019 The attacks by Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, son-in-law of President Michel Aoun, on Syrian refugees are part of a racist escalation in Lebanon. The political class is looking for scapegoats for the economic and political crisis for which it bears full responsibility. As the morning heat (…) July 2019 Egyptian Opposition Struggles to Overcome its Divisions Chérif Ayman · July 2019 The repression of political forces in Egypt has reached an unprecedented level of ferocity. However, the divisions between the various currents, especially between the Islamists and the secular parties as well as the absence of any alternative are the chief reasons for the regime’s apparent (…) Once Again, Lebanon Is on a Financial Tightrope Sibylle Rizk · July 2019 Ordered by the CEDRE conference to reform their economy, Lebanese leaders settle for cosmetic and superficial changes likely to lead to a major crisis. The Lebanese Parliament finally voted on the 2019 budget in July, when the year was already half over. In the Land of the Cedars, no one is (…) Turkey Faces the “Perfidy” of the West Timothy Reno · July 2019 The White House has informed Turkey that it will not deliver the F-35 fighters that Ankara has funded. This episode is reminiscent of a 1914 precedent, when the British seized two ultra-modern battleships that had already been paid. Over the past several months, the heightening standoff (…) From Algeria to Sudan, a New Lease of Life for Arab Springs Hicham Alaoui · July 2019 What is happening in Sudan and Algeria is not a repetition of Arab springs, but a wave that learns from the lessons and mistakes of the past. The protests in Algeria and Sudan resume the Arab Spring, which was temporarily halted in 2012-13 by two events—the establishment of a (…) Is “The Independent Arabia” Really Independent? Doha Chams · July 2019 When an Arabian website is sponsored by a prestigious British daily like The Independent, one would expect high quality and rigorously professional journalism. Actually, however, it is a propaganda tool of the Saudi regime, which suffers from its lack of legitimacy. What do we get by mixing (…) Iraq Torn Between Iran and Saudi Arabia Clément Therme , Shifaa Alsairafi · July 2019 Harassed by the United States to respect the embargo against Iran, Iraq is an essential pawn in the Iranian-Saudi competition for regional leadership. But beeing in a process of reconstruction, it can in no way put an end to its cooperation with the Islamic Republic and has everything to gain (…) The Dangerous Notion of Jewish Ownership of Jerusalem Chris den Hond · July 2019 June 30, the mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Leon, and the mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo inaugurate the Jerusalem Square in Paris. Moshe Leon, mayor of Jerusalem, is a staunch supporter of the annexation of East Jerusalem and of Israeli colonisation policies. Interview with Suleiman Mourad, Professor (…) June 2019 “Mohammad Bin Salman Should Be the Object of an International Criminal Investigation” Alain Gresh, Agnès Callamard · June 2019 Interview with Agnès Callamard, UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. She investigated the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi for six months. On 2 October 2018, the journalist Jamal Khashoggi went into the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul to (…) Is the Reform of the Right of Asylum in Qatar For Real? Joe Stork · June 2019 In September 2018, Qatar’s Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, signed Law No./2018 on Organizing Political Asylum—the first Persian Gulf Arab country to pass legislation recognizing a right to political asylum. The law would prohibit returning a refugee to his country or another where “he fears he (…) Iran, Syria, Iraq. Contradictions and Paradoxes of American Politics Patrick Haenni · June 2019 As the United States proclaims victory in the war against the Islamic State (IS), it finds itself locked into a contradiction between its desire to partially disengage from the Middle East and its escalation against Iran. This approach can only contribute to destabilizing the region, (…) Oman Has a Strategic Port to Avoid the Ormuz Straits Quentin Müller · June 2019 Duqm, once a modest fishing harbour located on the Arabian Sea is about to become an economic megalopolis—a mammoth project, initiated by the Sultanate of Oman but taken over by the great powers. On 13 March 2019 the United States signed an agreement to make it easier for their warships to (…) May 2019 Turkey’s Buffeted Economy Jean-Pierre Sereni · May 2019 On 23 June, voters are called to vote again to elect the mayor of Istanbul, after the opposition’s victory was invalidated. The deterioration of Turkey’s economic situation is likely to weigh heavily on the result. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s main adversary is no longer political but financial. (…) Istanbul and the AKP: Springboard, Showcase and Ali Baba’s Cave Jean-François Pérouse · May 2019 The election of Ekrem İmamoğlu, candidate of the Republican People’s Party (CHP) for mayor of Istanbul was finally cancelled, after unbelievable government pressure. It will be held again on June 23 and, for economic, political and symbolic reasons, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan decided that he could not (…) Down with the Muslim Brotherhood ! Alain Gresh · May 2019 Pure coincidence? Almost at the same moment, the French and American presidents have come out strongly against political Islam. While Donald Trump and his administration are examining the possibility of branding the Muslim Brotherbood as a “terrorist organisation”, Emmanuel Macron has denounced (…) Yemen: Taiz, Martyred and Forgotten City Mustafa Naji · May 2019 Taiz is the name of a city in South-West Yemen and of the country’s most populous governorate, with its 4.5 million inhabitants, 500 000 in the regional capital alone. Although it is still the theatre of fierce fighting, five months after the partial cease-fire signed in Stockholm in December (…) Sport in the Gulf Countries: Naturalize to Win Raphaël Le Magoariec · May 2019 To put together winning national teams, the Gulf countries naturalise young foreigners. This common practice is looked upon with a jaundiced eye by the international bodies. On 1 February 2019 in Abu Dhabi, Bassem Al-Rawi, the young captain of the Qatari selection held aloft the victory (…) Moroccan Counterterrorism Policy and Its Blind Spots Alexandra Fokina · May 2019 Although Morocco currently appears to pursue one of the most effective counterterrorism policies in the Arab world due to its extensive international cooperation and, as its authorities claim, passive counter-extremism policies, the whole spectrum of social and regional factors have the (…) April 2019 Migrations, a Vanishing Horizon Mohamed Samih Beji Okkaz · April 2019 Not once since the first humans took their initial steps, discovering their environment, have the flows of migration ceased. They have developed along with the evolution of humanity, and corresponded to its risks and needs. Causes have been as diverse as the destinations. In each historical era, (…) Egyptian Day Laborers in Jordan. Anything to Make a Living Ammar Ahmed Al-Shouqairi · April 2019 Sometimes settled in Jordan for decades, the 200,000 Egyptian workers struggle every day to find work that will give them enough to survive . . . until the next day. Shortly after daybreak on Friday morning, Egyptian day laborers begin gathering on the outskirts of Irbid, lining up in small (…) Libya. When Haftar Obliterates Years of Diplomacy Jalel Harchaoui · April 2019 On April 4, Khalifa Haftar launched a military offensive into Tripolitania, the country’s northwestern province, also the most densely populated one. After three weeks of fighting, the 25,000 soldiers of the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army remain blocked on the outskirts of Tripoli. But his (…) Egypt. The Permanent Coup Bahey Eldin Hassan · April 2019 The Egyptian Parliament is expected to adopt earlier this week a constitutional reform that will eradicate the latest achievements of the 2011 revolution and allow Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to remain in power until. . . 2030. Throughout the six years that marked President Abdelfatah al-Sisi’s (…) An Algerian Named Abdelaziz Bouteflika Jean-Pierre Sereni · April 2019 Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika died on September 17, 2021. Orient XXI had drawn his portrait at the time he was forced to give up the presidency of Algeria. A look back at an itinerary that is intertwined with that of his country. It is hard to imagine behind the inert, swollen mask (…) Syrian Students in the Maze of German Universities Yassin Swehat · April 2019 Seven hundred thousand Syrian refugees live in Germany, more than half of whom are under 25 years of age, according to the German Office for University Exchanges. What do they face when they seek to enter university, those whose studies have been interrupted by the revolution and war? Any (…) Sudan, an Unexpected Haven for Syrian Refugees Jenny Gustaffson · April 2019 With most other doors firmly closed to them, Syrians escaping the war have found a welcome respite in Sudan. First out was Egypt, in the summer of 2013. Then came Jordan and Lebanon, in 2014 and early 2015, and finally Turkey, one year later. Even Algeria, a country that had insisted on (…) Egypt. “Life has become unbearable” Nada Arafat · April 2019 Arabian Desert, in eastern Egypt. The Abaddeh have suffered the upheavals of climate change, “modernity” and state policies. In recent decades, they have become foreigners in their own countries. “I was born in the desert,” says 60-year-old sheikh Karam Allah Amer al-Abaddy, as he sits down (…) Tunisia. Why They Want to Leave at All Costs Malek Lakhal · April 2019 While the media tend never to establish any connection between “irregular immigration” and the “brain drain”, the motives behind these two types of emigration are far more similar than we are led to believe. Tunisians have lost hope in their country. While in 2011 they thought a new page had (…) Tunisia. Whatever the Cost, Don’t Let Them Cross Sana Sbouai · April 2019 In 2011 and 2017, two shipwrecks off the Tunisian coast involved units of the Tunisian navy. On both occasions, vessels carrying migrants to Italy were sunk. The first following a collision, the second having capsized at the end of a chase. Technical error or respect —paid at the high price— of (…) Syria. Seasons of Exodus Kamal Shaheen · April 2019 March 2019 marks the eighth anniversary of the Syrian war. And up until the end of the year 2017, 6.2 million Syrians had gone through involuntary internal migration, some of whom returned to their regions, while 5 million more remain stuck in bordering countries. This is out of a total (…) March 2019 Yemen. Atrocious Record of an Endless War Helen Lackner · March 2019 As the Yemeni people face the fifth year of their internationalised civil war, what has changed in the past four years? To start with, a few figures: more than 60,000 people have been killed by directly war-related actions throughout the country, most of them by air strikes from the (…) Morocco, the Declining Popularity of the Governing Islamists Omar Brouksy · March 2019 The clear winner of the post-Arab Spring elections of September 2011 and those of 2016, the Justice and Development Party is entering its eighth year at the head of the Moroccan government. But this longevity is starting to wither, especially on account of the behaviours of some of its leaders. (…) Unlocking Europe’s Syrian straitjacket Alex Simon · March 2019 The EU is in urgent need of a Syria policy that looks beyond the chimera of a negotiated transition. Rather than grasping for means toward this implausible end, a sound approach would prioritize bolstering those assets Syrian society needs to ensure its immediate survival and future viability. (…) Iran’s Resistance to US Sanctions Camille Najm · March 2019 On 5 November 2018, following their withdrawal from the Iran nuclear agreement, the United States imposed sanctions on Iran, “the strongest in history.” In reaction, Iran has activated its network of connections both in the European Union and with its Russian, Chinese and Indian partners. (…) February 2019 Central Asia: Have the Taliban Become Respectable? Régis Genté · February 2019 For a long time, the Taliban terrified the former Soviet republics of Central Asia,which were Muslim but marked by their secular past. However, with the threat of ISIS looming on the horizon and the imminent withdrawal of at least half of the American contingent, these Republics have begun (…) Turkey-Tunisia, Two Experiences of “Islamist Power” Bayram Balci · February 2019 The new century has seen the rise to power of political parties of the Islamist persuasion, both in Turkey and the Arab world. The most successful examples are the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Ennahdha in Tunisia. A comparison between these two experiences can be enlightening. (…) How Israel Manipulates the Struggle Against Anti-Semitism Bertrand Heilbronn, Dominique Vidal · February 2019 As is shown by Benyamin Netanyahu’s flirtation with the far right in Europe, the Israeli government and many of its fans are not really interested in the wholly justified struggle against anti-Semitism. Their priority is to denature that struggle in order to discredit expressions of solidarity (…) In Morocco, Two Years After the Hirak Protests, the Ordeal of the Prisoners’ Families Lina Rhrissi · February 2019 Every other Wednesday, the mothers, wives and sisters of the last 39 Hirak protestors still jailed in Casablanca travel 1200 kilometres from the Rif by bus to visit their loved ones. With the help of the Committee for the Support of Hirak Prisoners’ Families, they struggle to improve their (…) January 2019 Israeli Networks of Influence in Brussels: Behind the Scenes Grégory Mauzé · January 2019 Second only to Washington as a scene for lobbying activities, the seat of EU institutions is a favourite target of the pressure groups defending the interests of the Israeli government. Their objective is to shore up its status as a privileged partner and discredit any support for the (…) Syria. Schooling in War-Torn Country Élisabeth Longuenesse · January 2019 The war which has been raging in Syria for nearly eight years now has had one dramatic consequence which is largely ignored: the collapse of the school system, depriving huge numbers of children of any education whatsoever. The Syrian regime was proud of having practically done away with (…) Bziz, the Humorist Who Does Not Make the King of Morocco Laugh Omar Brouksy · January 2019 Stage name Bziz (the rascal), Ahmed Soussi, stand-up comedian and political satirist, is a living legend in Morocco, where he has been banned from public appearance for a quarter of a century. Just recently he was summoned to appear before the judicial police of Casablanca. On what grounds? For (…) In Palestine, Stones Against Land Theft Gary Libot · January 2019 At the beginning of September, a dozen Jewish colonists settled at the top of a hill in the occupied West Bank, strategically located at the intersection of several colonies. Since then, a sizeable movement has developed protesting this seizure of land under the protection of the Israeli army. (…) Egypt. When the future seemed within reach Omar Robert Hamilton · January 2019 The following is the speech given by the Anglo-Egyptian writer Omar Robert Hamilton on 24 October 2018 at the IMA on the occasion of the 2018 “Arab Literature Prize”, which he received for The City Always Wins (Gallimard, March 2018). Story of an Egyptian revolution experienced by a whole (…)