Kais Saied

Tunisia
One month before referendum, election body struggles to hire

Ahead of July's constitutional referendum, the entity that manages ballots in Tunisia, is on a recruitment drive. Potential poll monitors and organisers, however, are hardly lining up for the work.

Tunisia
Energy minister Neila Gonji pushes industry towards renewable electricity

The Tunisian government, which is under pressure from its lenders and high gas prices, is trying to speed up construction of new wind and solar power plants, particularly those destined to supply electricity to cement and other industrial producers.

Tunisia
MBDA and Saab vie for army's future anti-aircraft systems

The Tunisian government's deepening financial crisis has not entirely put the breaks on the armed forces' spending spree. @MBDA_Talents @Saab #Tunisia

Tunisia
AeroVironment drones are only fruit of vanishing cooperation with Pentagon

With the delivery of eight RQ-20 Pumas bought with US funds, the Tunisian army now hopes to order other small observation drones. But the renewal of its combat fleet and training aircraft is at a standstill and hinges on Tunis improving its links with the Biden administration.

Tunisia
Tunis defaults on legal costs to ICSID in BFT case

Tunisia has failed to make its final payment to the World Bank arbitration tribunal, which could result in it being ordered to pay several hundred million dollars in compensation to ABCI Investments. Proceedings are unlikely to be suspended.

The New Guard
Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, DRC, Ethiopia, Libya

Every Wednesday, Africa Intelligence reveals the next generation of movers and shakers in business and politics.

SenegalMamadou Fall Kane, presidential oil adviser, branches out into mining

Guinea-BissauSaico Umaro Embaló, the president's nephew and Turkey envoy

DR CongoArthur Omar Kayumba, Tshisekedi's Grand Inga irritant

EthiopiaWintana Shimelis, in charge of the UK's Diageo in Addis

LibyaAhmed al-Sharkasi, the PM's low-key advisor

Tunisia
Diplomatic blunder sends Saied on phantom Moscow trip

Even though it was announced by the Tunisian ambassador to Russia, Kais Saied's visit to Moscow is not actually on the cards. The error caused quite a stir in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs last week.

Tunisia
Tunis asks Brussels to ease loan conditions in face of IMF impasse

The Tunisian government is seeking a relaxing of the conditions for the disbursement of a tranche of the €300m that the EU has earmarked for macro-financial assistance. But community institutions are still concerned at some of the political measures being taken by Kais Saied.

Libya
Unwilling to take sides, Tunis refuses to host outgoing PM Abdelhamid Dabaiba

Resisting all pressure from Libya's outgoing Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah who was hoping to be received in Tunis as soon as possible, Tunisia's President Kais Saied turned a deaf ear to his demands.

Tunisia
Kais Saied finally accepts resignation of economic adviser Hassan Bedhief

Hassan Bedhief, former economic adviser to Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, has finally been able to leave Carthage Palace. His resignation was accepted by the president after being submitted in December to his former chief of staff Nadia Akacha.

Tunisia
Khalil Tazarki and Mustapha Nebli clear path in Strasbourg before MEP visit

MEPs are meeting with President Kais Saied and leading political figures in Tunis this week. In anticipation of their trip, two diplomats - the director general for Europe Khalil Tazarki and Mustapha Nebli, a former member of the president's cabinet - were in Strasbourg to clear the air.