North Africa

By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD   What can I say about Ammar Al-Masry’s Throne of Atlantis, the long awaited sequel to Shadows of Atlantis? It’s a mind-boggling treat! To remind those who have forgotten, myself included, here is a summary. In Shadows of Atlantis you have a near perfect world …

An armed group on Thursday attacked a major air base in southern Libya controlled by eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar who has moved much of his forces north to try take the capital Tripoli, officials said. Fighting was continuing at the Tamanhint base near Sabha, the main city in southern …

Qatar’s foreign minister has called for an effective arms embargo against eastern Libyan commander Khalifa Haftar and for his troops to withdraw from areas they have occupied, Italian daily La Repubblica said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani also told the newspaper in an interview he was …

Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied in Algiers for an eighth successive Friday to demand the departure of the ruling elite, witnesses said, as Algeria prepares for a presidential election in July. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika stepped down from 20 years in power 10 days ago, bowing to pressure from the …

Algeria will hold a presidential election on July 4, the interim presidency said on Wednesday after weeks of mass protests led to the resignation of long-serving leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika. No further details were immediately given. On Tuesday, interim president Abdelkader Bensalah had said he would organize free elections within 90 …

Algeria’s parliament appointed on Tuesday its upper house chairman Abdelkader Bensalah as interim president following the resignation of ailing Abdelaziz Bouteflika after weeks of mass demonstrations against his rule. His appointment is in keeping with Algeria’s constitution but protesters, who want sweeping democratic reforms, oppose figures like Bensalah, a close …

Eastern Libyan forces carried out an air strike on the southern part of Tripoli on Sunday, escalating an operation to take the capital despite calls for a truce from the United Nations. The Libyan National Army (LNA) force of Khalifa Haftar, which backs a parallel administration in the east, last …

Protesters waving banners and calling for radical change marched through Algiers for a seventh successive Friday as Algeria’s spy chief was reported fired in a further sign of high-level turmoil following the resignation of the country’s veteran president. Thousands of demonstrators gathered in the capital to push for the removal …

The U.N. secretary-general appealed on Thursday for restraint from rival factions in Libya as forces from the east of the country moved to within 100 km (60 miles) of the capital Tripoli. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who arrived in Tripoli on Wednesday to promote peace talks, warned of the risk …

Algeria’s army chief of staff demanded on Tuesday immediate procedures to remove President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, saying enough time had already been wasted, state news agency APS said on Tuesday. On Monday, Bouteflika, who is 82, in poor health and facing weeks of mass demonstrations against his 20 year rule, had …

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika will resign before his mandate ends on April 28, state news agency APS said on Monday, bowing to weeks of mass protests and army pressure seeking an end to his 20-year rule. There was no immediate reaction from leaders of the protest movement that has buffeted …

The Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed natural gas company Dana Gas has received a payment of $19 million (AED70 million) from its operations in Egypt. The payment was made up of a $10 million payment from the government in Egyptian pounds and $9 million from the sale of a shipment of …

Arab leaders papered over long-running regional rivalries on Sunday to condemn a U.S. move to recognise Israel’s sovereignty over the Syrian Golan Heights and said stability in the Middle East hinged on creating a Palestinian state. Arab leaders, attending a summit in the Tunisian capital, have been grappling with regional …

Leading Algerian businessman Ali Haddad, who was part of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s inner circle, has been arrested at the Tunisian border, a close associate said on Sunday, as pressure mounted on the long-standing leader to resign. During weeks of protests demanding an end to his 20-year rule, Bouteflika has been …

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and President of Egypt Abdel Fatah el-Sisi today toured Al Alamein New City, northern Egypt, where they learned about the onsite progress of construction works across the new …

Tunisia will coordinate with fellow Arab countries to contain any fall out from the U.S. decision to recognise Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, Foreign Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui said on Friday. Jhinaoui was addressing a meeting of Arab foreign ministers on the day before Tunisia hosts the annual Arab League …

Hundreds of thousands of protesters marched though Algiers for the sixth Friday in succession to demand the removal of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika days after the country’s powerful military called for him to step down. Dancing, blowing horns and shouting freedom slogans, some demonstrators also called for the entire political elite …

The fourth session of the UAE-Egypt consular consultations committee was held yesterday morning under the chairmanship of Mansour Abdel Kareem Al Faheem, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Consular and Development of Proceeds, and Yasser Mahmoud Hashim, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians …

An influential Algerian party on Wednesday backed the army’s call for President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika to resign – a managed exit plan that is unlikely to satisfy protesters demanding the overthrow of the entire political elite. The call from the National Rally for Democracy (RND), a member of the ruling …

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman met on Wednesday the commander of the Eastern Libyan forces Khalifa Haftar, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a tweet. King Salman made assurances during the meeting of the Kingdom’s keenness for the security and stability of Libya, the foreign ministry said. Source: Reuters

More than 10,000 Moroccan teachers staged a new protest in the capital Rabat on Sunday to demand better working conditions, a witness said, hours after police had dispersed an earlier demonstration with water cannon. The teachers started marching peacefully from the education ministry in Rabat to the square in front …

Hundreds of Algerian lawyers protested again on Saturday in the capital to demand the immediate resignation of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika who has been for 20 years in power. They gathered in Algiers’ center, the scene of mass protests for one month, holding up slogans that read: “Respect the will of …

Khalid Mohammed Al Jassim, Director-General of the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, has highlighted the chamber’s keenness to reinforce its ties with friendly countries and connect business owners with their peers in other countries, to exchange information and establish investment partnerships in various commercial, industrial, and services sectors. This …

Tunisia’s president called on Wednesday for changes to the new constitution to give the presidency more power, in the latest escalation of a dispute between the two highest offices in the country. The constitution, adopted in 2014 after the uprising of 2011 that ousted autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, …

Algeria’s army chief declared that the public has expressed “noble aims” during weeks of demonstrations against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the strongest signal yet that the military is distancing itself from the long-serving ruler. Lieutenant General Ahmed Gaed Salah said the month had been “marked by the deeds of noble aims …

Thousands of students, university professors and health workers rallied in Algiers on Tuesday calling for President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to quit, and a new group headed by activists and opposition figures told the army not to interfere. In the first direct message to the generals from leaders emerging from nearly a …

Algeria’s newly-appointed prime minister has started talks to form a new government, state media reported on Sunday, in a move designed to placate protesters demanding President Abdel Aziz Bouteflika and his inner circle step down. The discussions began as some workers at Algeria’s biggest gas field staged a protest against …

Hundreds of thousands of people protested in central Algiers on Friday in the biggest demonstration against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s 20-year rule since unrest began last month. Protesters crammed streets and squares in the capital after Friday prayers, many draped in Algeria’s green, white and red flag. Demonstrations also took place …

The UAE, represented by the Fujairah Social and Cultural Association, is participating in the ‘3rd International Youth and Women Forum’, being hosted by the Moroccan city of Tangier until 17th March 2019. The forum, organised by the Moroccan Association for Economic, Social and Cultural Development, under the slogan, ‘Women and …

Algeria’s government on Wednesday declared itself ready for talks with protesters seeking rapid political change, saying it sought a ruling system based on “the will of the people” after opposition groups rejected proposed reforms as inadequate. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday reversed a decision to seek a fifth term in …

Thousands protested in Algeria on Tuesday, demanding immediate political changes a day after ailing President Abelaziz Bouteflika abandoned his bid for a fifth term in power but stopped short of stepping down. Huge crowds gathered in several cities and Ennahar TV reported workers began a strike that paralyzed operations at …

A veteran Algerian diplomat and protest groups will join a conference planning the country’s future after President Abdelaziz Bouteflika yielded to mass demonstrations and agreed not to run again, a government source said on Tuesday. Lakhdar Brahimi, a former foreign minister and U.N. special envoy, is expected to chair the …

Algerian authorities on Saturday ordered an early start to the spring university holiday, an apparent attempt to weaken two weeks of student-led protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. A woman protests against Algeria’s President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, in Algiers, Algeria March 8, 2019. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra The Higher Education Ministry’s decision came a …

Several lawmakers of Algeria’s ruling FLN party have resigned to join mass anti-government protests, the private Ashourouq TV station said on Friday. No more details were immediately available. Protesters have been demonstrating for weeks against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s decision to stand for another term. Source: Reuters

Hundreds of lawyers in black robes took to the streets of downtown Algiers on Thursday to press President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down after 20 years in power, adding momentum to the biggest protests there since the 2011 Arab Spring. Security forces were deployed to monitor the demonstration but as …

Algerian war veterans said protesters demanding ailing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika step down after 20 years in power had legitimate concerns and urged all citizens to demonstrate, in another sign of cracks in the ruling elite. The ongoing unrest poses the biggest challenge yet to the Bouteflika and his inner circle …

Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council, FNC, stated that the Palestinian issue remains the leading Arab cause, despite all internal and external concerns. The Palestinian cause is going through a historic juncture, and is facing a fateful challenge that requires solidarity, cooperation and serious work …

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, facing mass protests over his 20 years in power, will run in April’s elections, his campaign manager said on Sunday, with Ennahar TV saying he had offered to step down after a year if re-elected. The announcement read out by Abdelghani Zaalane on Bouteflika’s behalf said …

A total of AED18.7 billion of dividends have been proposed by 18 listed UAE national banks for 2018, 12.2 percent up from AED16.66 bn in 2017. The growth in dividend distribution reflects the robust solvency position of the UAE banking sector, reckoned among MENA’s most resilient with an estimated AED2.9 …

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has submitted official papers confirming he will seek re-election, Ennahar TV said on Sunday, despite mass protests against the move. There was no official confirmation, but state news agency APS published his asset declaration, which is a formal requirement to run in the election. Tens of …

A total of 183 people were injured during protests across Algeria on Friday against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s bid for election to a fifth term, the state news agency APS said on Saturday, citing the health ministry. One person died of a heart attack, officials said earlier. Tens of thousands of …

Egypt’s hosting of the Arab League-European Union, EU, Summit on Sunday in Sharm el-Sheikh underscores its pivotal role in international efforts to counter terrorism and realise peace in the Middle East region and as a facilitator for Arab-European dialogue on challenges facing the world, said H.H. Sheikh Hamad bin Mohammed …

Hundreds of Algerians protested for a second straight day on Saturday in the capital against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s plan to seek a fifth term. The turnout was smaller than on Friday when thousands took to the streets of Algiers and other cities against the 81-year-old leader’s decision to stand in …

UAE, Singapore and Algeria have shared identical views on the importance of liberalising trade and providing a business-friendly environment conducive to accelerating FDIs and underpinning the economic diversification drive. This came at two separate meetings Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, had with Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister …