Politics Hatem Nafti 05 December 2024

Kais Saied cracks down, cementing second term in office

Kais Saied was reelected as Tunisia’s president in the first round of elections. His Soviet-like score of 90.69% must not obscure record voter abstention rates: more than 7 out of 10 Tunisians—and more than 94% of Tunisian youth—did not turn out to vote. While there is no evidence that massive fraud took place on election day, the entire electoral process was marked by repressive tactics aiming to cement Saied’s second term in office. Recap of the past election year and the crackdown which ensured the outgoing president’s victory at the polls.

Blogs Rihab Amri 16 October 2024

Gabes: Save the environment… or the economy?

Gabes, a Tunisian coastal city, grapples with a stark dilemma: environmental preservation or economic stability. The phosphate industry, while providing jobs and revenue, has caused severe ecological damage and health issues. This conflict exemplifies the challenge of balancing development with environmental protection.

Environment Samih Beji Okkez 30 August 2024

Tunisian forests: Going up in flames

Over the past decade, a drastic increase in the number of wildfires has jeopardized the livelihood of nearly one million Tunisians. All of the forests spanning the governorate of Bizerte in the north-most tip of the country, to the governorates of Beja and Kef in the northwest, to still others in the center and northeast—overall more than a third of the country’s total surface area—are impacted by the fires.

World Léonard Sompairac 15 August 2024

Migration: The Wretched of the Borders

The Mediterranean is becoming a graveyard as Europe looks to outsource the management of its borders, dealing out bribes to countries at its southern and eastern gateways. Stripped of their humanity, migrants are reduced to grim statistics. Journalists within the network Independent Media on the Arab World present readers with a series of articles exposing the exorbitant price paid by concerned populations, against their will.

Politics Nate Grubman 09 August 2024

The July 25th Path, Democracy, and Dictatorship in Tunisia

Following one of the world’s most dramatic democratic transitions since the early 1990s, Tunisia’s descent into personalist rule has been equally stark. Although Kais Saied’s accumulation of power bears similarities to executive aggrandizement in other parts of the world, Saied’s regime is atypical in other ways that may be telling of the president’s assets and liabilities as he and his opposition navigate the first presidential elections since the coup.

Blogs Jyhene Kebsi 18 June 2024

A Decolonial Translation: Omid Tofighian’s Collaborative Approach in Behrouz Boochani’s No Friend but the Mountains

No Friend but the Mountains by Behrouz Boochani reveals the brutality of Australia’s refugee policy and the atrocities of its detention industry. Omid Tofighian’s translation is not just a linguistic task but a collaborative, activist effort. His experimental approach and deep engagement with Boochani highlight the complexities and responsibilities of translating such a powerful narrative.