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MENASource

Jan 24, 2018

January 25: experts weigh in seven years later

By MENASource

We asked several Egypt experts where they think Egypt stands seven years after the January 25, 2011 uprising that led to the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. A common takeaway has been that Egypt is continuing to regress to its pre-2011 days. EconomyIn the aftermath of the 2011 Revolution, the Egyptian economy went into […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

MENASource

Jan 19, 2018

Tunisian civil society’s unmistakable role in keeping the peace

By Wafa Ben-Hassine

Regardless of the protesters substantive demands, it is important for the government to keep in mind that Tunisia would not be where it is today had it not been for civil society work and vigilance.

Civil Society Democratic Transitions

MENASource

Jan 16, 2018

Tunisia 2018: Permanent mobilization or return to the past?

By Karim Mezran & Erin A. Neale

The riots that have occurred in many Tunisian cities and villages at the beginning of 2018 have caught by surprise many experts and observers of Tunisia’s political and socio-economic evolution. Tunisia has been presented to the world as the only success story in the framework of the so-called Arab Spring. Unfortunately, judging it as a […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

MENASource

Jan 14, 2018

What’s next? Seven years after Tunisia’s spring

By Andrea Taylor and Elissa Miller

Seven years after the 2011 Arab uprisings, Tunisia remains the only country to have emerged from the sweeping changes that took hold in the region as a fledgling democracy. Since then-President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali stepped down from power of January 14, 2011, Tunisia has accomplished a number of major successes, including holding free and […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

MENASource

Jan 9, 2018

Iraq’s Dawa Party and electioneering: Division and survival

By Harith Hasan

Following the 2005 election of Iraq’s National Assembly, the winning Shia Islamist coalition selected Ibrahim al-Jaafari, then a senior leader in the Dawa party, for the position of Prime Minister in the transitional government. Dawa is the oldest Shia Islamist party, but not the largest. Competing groups within the Shia alliance selected a member in […]

Democratic Transitions Iraq

AfricaSource

Dec 6, 2017

Africa’s political fault-lines: As Cameroon’s Anglophone crisis trends toward intensifying rhetoric and violence, how long can the movement last?

By Alexandra Fairbend

Cameroon’s crisis, which pits a marginalized group of English-speakers against the Francophone majority, has taken a dangerous turn. The conflict has its roots in the colonial era, when British and French territories were awkwardly combined to form modern-day Cameroon. Anglophones have wanted autonomy for decades, but in the past year, they have mounted a full-throated […]

Africa Corruption

Report

Nov 28, 2017

Forging a New Era in US-South African Relations

By Anthony Carroll

As one of the African continent’s largest and most sophisticated economies, South Africa offers a myriad of opportunities for engagement with the United States on diplomatic, commercial, security, and social fronts. It is a self-sufficient, complex, and dynamic country in a struggling, complex, and dynamic region. Yet, the centrality of South Africa to the United […]

Africa Corruption

MENASource

Nov 8, 2017

The Gulf crisis threatens Tunisia’s stability

By Youssef Cherif

Qatar is one of Tunisia’s most important trade partners. It has invested, loaned, or assisted Tunisia with more than 1.5 billion USD since 2011, and has directed its media, think-tanks, and PR empire to acclaim the country’s transition to democracy. Thousands of Tunisians work in Qatar, and the current Gulf crisis has allowed a number […]

Democratic Transitions North Africa

MENASource

Oct 31, 2017

Tunisia, the West, and the ‘Arab Spring’

By Oussama Romdhani

Although Tunisia is still seen favorably in Washington, the US is unlikely to be its savior. No matter how much Washington reflects on Tunisia as a successful democratic transition, the mood in the US capital will not lead to large amounts of aid to magically fix Tunisia’s security and economic woes. Only by looking to […]

Democratic Transitions Libya

MENASource

Oct 26, 2017

Tunisia’s democracy: Between economic reform and public engagement

By Elissa Miller and Andrea Taylor

Tunisia’s transition to democracy is in a difficult spot: the public is frustrated with the political and economic situation, but the political elite are shying away from needed public engagement. Two recent events stand out: the 2018 draft budget law put forward this month and the recent postponement of the local elections to next year. […]

Democratic Transitions Macroeconomics

Experts