by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 26, 2022 | Economic, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Protests in Tunis Suburbs Signal Growing Frustration with Food Shortages Summary: On 25 September 2022, several hundred protestors gathered in the Douar Hicher neighborhood, a working class area on the western side of the capital city of Tunis. The protests...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 16, 2022 | Economic, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Government and Unions Reach Wage Increase Agreement as IMF Negotiations Loom Summary: On 15 September 2022, the Tunisia government reached an agreement with the country’s influential labor unions to raise public sector wages as well as the country’s minimum...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 15, 2022 | Economic, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Government Confident IMF Loan Nearly Secured Summary: As of mid-September 2022, Tunisia seemed confident that an International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan would soon be secured. The IMF has given no specific indications about a deal on the loan, nor about its...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 10, 2022 | Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Coalition of President Saied’s Opponents Announce Boycott of December Parliamentary Elections Summary: As of early-September a coalition of political parties and political leaders opposed to President Kais Saied’s political reforms had announced plans to...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 2, 2022 | Diplomacy, Tunisia
Tunisia: Saied Leans toward Algeria as Controversial Western Sahara Leader Attends Conference Summary: In late-August 2022, Tunisian President Kais Saied invited Brahim Ghali – the head of Polisario Front, a Western Sahara-based group claiming independence from...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Sep 2, 2022 | Diplomacy, Tunisia
Tunisia: France Lifts Artificial Visa Limits Following Migrant Repatriation Cooperation Summary: On 31 August 2022, the French and Tunisian Ministers of Interior Gerald Darmanin and Tawfik Charfeddine released a joint statement announcing the end of France’s...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 30, 2022 | Diplomacy, Economic, Tunisia
Tunisia: Japan’s African Development Forum Overshadowed by Local and Regional Rows Summary: In late-August 2022, Tunisia hosted the 8th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Japan’s Africa-wide development forum held intermittently since...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 20, 2022 | Diplomacy, Economic, Tunisia
Tunisia: US Set to Consider Future of $500 million Aid Package Summary: In late September 2022, the Board of Directors of the US government-funded Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) will reconsider a 2021 commitment to a five-year, $500 million aid package. The...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 19, 2022 | Economic, Tunisia
Tunisia: Food and Fuel Shortages Test Patience with Saied’s Reforms Summary: As of mid-September 2022, shortages of food staples and fuel have continued to spread and grow in severity. Critical food staples such as flour, milk, butter, cooking oil, and sugar have...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 16, 2022 | Political, Security, Tunisia
Tunisia: Security Forces Union Formally Expressed Frustration with National and Departmental Leadership Summary: On 15 August 2022, a letter was made public that expressed frustration on behalf of Tunisia’s security forces union with the leadership of the Ministry of...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 12, 2022 | Diplomacy, Economic, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Unions and Government Agree to Talks Over IMF-Driven Reforms Summary: The office of Tunisia’s Prime Minister Najla Bouden has reportedly reached an agreement with the leaders of the powerful UGTT (Tunisian General Labor Union) and UTICA (Tunisian Union of...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 10, 2022 | Diplomacy, Tunisia
Tunisia: US Defense Secretary Echoes Senior US Diplomats’ Concerns about State of Democracy Summary: On 9 August 2022, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin joined US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and nominee for the US Ambassadorship to Tunisia Joey Hood in...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Aug 4, 2022 | Legal, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Additional Questioning of Ghannouchi Keeps Ennahdha in President’s Public Relations Crosshairs Summary: On 3 August 2022, Tunisia’s Islamist party, Ennahdha, announced that another investigation had been opened into the group’s leader, Rached Ghannouchi. The...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 29, 2022 | Diplomacy, Tunisia
Tunisia: US Diplomats Express Concern About State of Democracy Summary: Statements during 27 July 2022 Senate Confirmation Hearings by Joey Hood, the current nominee for the US Ambassadorship to Tunisia, and subsequent 28 July 2022 statements by US Secretary of...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 27, 2022 | Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Low Referendum Voter Turnout Highlights Lack of Faith in Government Summary: The 25 July 2022 referendum on President Kais Saied’s proposed constitution took place with relatively little fanfare and relatively few Tunisians participating, with national...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 23, 2022 | Economic, Tunisia
Tunisia: Ukraine-Russia Wheat Export Agreement Could Help Relieve Food Supply and Price Pressures Summary: On Friday, 22 July 2022, Ukraine and Russia signed a deal, mediated by the United Nations and to be aided heavily in execution by Turkey, to release for export...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 22, 2022 | Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Tensions Build Toward 25 July Referendum Summary: Numerous global media outlets continue to question Tunisia’s democratic future as the 25 July 2022 referendum on President Kais Saied’s draft constitution approaches. Many western analysts continue to warn...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 20, 2022 | Legal, Political, Tunisia
Tunisia: Islamist Opposition Leader Questioned Over Financial Links to Terrorism Summary: On 19 July 2022, Rached Ghannouchi, the former speaker of the now dissolved Tunisian Parliament and long-serving leader of Ennahdha, Tunisia’s Islamist movement, was given...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 20, 2022 | Tunisia
Tunisia: Large Fire Threatens Southern Suburbs Summary: Throughout the night of Tuesday, 19 July 2022 and into the morning of Wednesday, 20 July 2022, Tunisian civil defense and military forces, alongside Algerian military aircraft, battled a large forest fire on...
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 19, 2022 | Security, Tunisia
Tunisia: Soldier Killed in Firefight with Smugglers at Southern Border Summary: On Monday, 18 July 2022 a Tunisian soldier was killed and another wounded in a firefight with a six-vehicle convoy of smugglers at the small southern border outpost of Borj el Khadra....
by Dispatch Risk Analysis | Jul 13, 2022 | Economic, Tunisia
Tunisia: Food Shortages Driven by Ukraine War Point to Deepening Cost Crisis Summary: The war in Ukraine continues to disrupt grain supplies to Tunisia, driving up costs and deepening the government debt crisis. A recent flour shortage was curbed by government...
by Dispatch Content | Jul 13, 2022 | Diplomacy, Tunisia
Tunisia: Diplomatic Messaging with Tehran May Signal Nascent Courtship Summary: On 11 July 2022, Tunisian President Kais Saied held a call with Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi. The two counterparts exchanged Aid al-Adha greetings and affirmed a shared desire to...
