The Cordoba Update 16-29.06.2015
1) MAROC
» 28.06.2015 : Maroc-Iran : Relations Diplomatiques Sous-Tensions ?
Dans un contexte où les tensions entre les pays arabes et l’Iran s’accentuent de plus en plus, de nouvelles tensions déclenchaient entre cette dernière et le Maroc suite à la publication d’un article de presse par le média iranien « Fars News », intitulé « Le Maroc, otage des politiques sionistes » accusant le Royaume d’être l’exécutant de la politique d’Israël dans le monde musulman. Cet article suscitait une polémique au Maroc, et menait Rabat à le qualifier d’inacceptable en demandant aux autorités iraniennes de s’exprimer et en prenant les mesures en convoquant le nouvel ambassadeur iranien qui venait juste d’être nommé, M. Mohammad Taqi Moayyed. De son côté, la porte parole du ministère iranien des Affaires Etrangères, exprimait lors d’une conférence de presse tenue le 28 juin, la détermination de son pays à « améliorer ses relations avec le Maroc dans tous les domaines », une amélioration qui va dans le sens de la réouverture de l’ambassade d’Iran à Rabat et la nomination d’un nouvel ambassadeur au Maroc, selon la porte parole. Il est à rappelé que les relations diplomatiques entre les deux pays avaient été rompues, en 2009 de manière unilatérale par le Maroc.
Lien(s) pour plus d’information :
http://telquel.ma/2015/06/28/maroc-iran-tensions-diplomatiques-autour-dun-article-presse
http://telquel.ma/2015/06/29/maroc-iran-teheran-veut-ameliorer-ses-relations-maroc-les-domaines
http://www.huffpostmaghreb.com/2015/06/27/maroc-iran-nouvelle-crise-diplomatique
http://www.yabiladi.com/articles/details/37044/iran-ministere-affaires-etrangeres-essaie
http://www.hespress.com/politique/268537.html
2) YEMEN
» 28.06.2015: Geneva’s Unsuccessful Peace Talks
While Yemenis are struggling to feed their families and basic services are collapsing in all regions, the recent Geneva Peace Talks held during the third week of June (15-19 June) collapsed as well. The talks ended on Friday 19th in the absence of any positive indicator for a new truce. Nevertheless, UN Envoy for Yemen, Ahmed Ould Sheikh, said that the talks held in Geneva between delegations of the Yemeni Government, Houthi representatives and the General People’s Congress Party didn’t lead to agreement; however, the convening of such consultations is an achievement. Observers noted that from the beginning, all the participating parties have maintained different views about the purpose of the Geneva Talks. On the one hand, the Yemeni Government maintained its position to not produce new peace plans or agreements, but rather focus on the implementation of the UNSC Resolution 2216. On the other hand, Houthi-Saleh delegations had the goal of forcing the Arab Coalition to accept a long-term ceasefire, as the Houthis increased their military offensives in Taiz, Aden and Jawf.
A week after the end of these consultations, the UNSC called this Thursday all Yemeni parties to a new truce, and to participate in a new round of negotiations without preconditions. In this perspective, the UN Envoy for Yemen flew this week to Riyadh then to Sana’a for further discussions, notably regarding the draft document of principles developed by the UN, in order to reach an initial agreement.
Links for more information:
http://aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2015/6/19/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/06/analysis-yemen
http://aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2015/6/25/
http://aljazeera.net/news/arabic/2015/6/26/
3) LIBYA
» 28.06.2015: Cautious Hope for an Agreement
On Sunday 28th June, the delegations of the Tripoli GNC and the Tobruk House of Representatives met for the first time face to face at the UN negotiating table in Morocco. Bernardino Leon hand the two parties to the conflict stalemate an amended fourth draft of the political agreement. While the HoR seems to agree to the amended draft, the GNC considered that its reservations on the fourth draft were not taken into consideration. The GNC asked specifically to clarify four main issues in the draft. First, how the national unity government and sovereignty posts are appointed and how confidence in the government could be withdrawn? Second, the article regarding the military and security institutions is not clear: would the army be re-formed or just re-activated? Third, the breakdown of the composition of the proposed state council: would it be formed from only the existing GNC members or a combination of the GNC and tribal and civil society members? Fourth, the term of the HoR: would it start from the date of the signature of the political agreement and what would be the validity of legislation made in Tobruk during the conflict? Both delegations returned to Libya for consultations with their respective bodies. The dialogue teams are due to meet again in Morocco on Wednesday July 1st, according to Leon. Some news outlets reported that the GNC insists on mentioning Islam as source of legislation in the agreement, but no confirmation of this issue transpired from sources close to the GNC. In the Tobruk camp Mahmoud Jibril’s National Forces Front welcomed the prospect of an agreement and cautioned, in a communique, that “forming the government of national unity should be based on a national salvation programme and competence, and not be subject to quota bargaining” among conflict stakeholders. Leon had met with leaders of some armed groups in Misrata last week. His move upset the GNC. Leon seems to be trying to gather support of the Misrata groups for the draft agreement to compel the GNC into signing the agreement. However, power dynamics are shifting. Observers think that the GNC is no longer dependent on Misrata’s strong group within the Libya Dawn force, after the GNC formed the Defiance (Alsumoud) force built exclusively from Tripoli’s own fighters.
Links for more information:
http://unsmil.unmissions.org/Default.aspx?tabid=3543&ctl=Details&mid=6187&ItemID=2097386
http://www.eanlibya.com/archives/36917
http://www.alwasat.ly/ar/news/libya/80587/
https://www.facebook.com/nff.ly/photos/a.297766803630641.68334.297661583641163/887885254618790/
http://www.libyaherald.com/2015/06/28/hafter-backs-down-on-barasi-sacking/#axzz3eXZz2Tlu
4) TUNISIA
» 28.06.2015: Freedom Vs Security: A Delicate Balancing Act
The Sousse Massacre has re-prompted the debate on safeguarding freedoms and duty of the state to guarantee security. Rached Ghanouchi called for a national dialogue conference in order to agree a strategy to fight terrorism; but cautioned, “the main guarantee that terrorism would not become a religion is by maintaining mosques, Islamic associations, and Tunisian moderate Islam as the main form of religious practise.” Other voices opposed ideologically to the Islamic current called on the government to take robust measures against Islamists of all shades including shutting down Qur’anic schools, nurseries, Tahrir Party, as well as purging the security institutions of pro-Ennahdha people, even if those draconian measures led to “a rupture”. In such a climate of anger and high emotions, it is hard to heed voices that remind the political elite and civil society not to give in to the security approach that trumps citizenship rights. “If faith in our democracy falters before the faith of those who reckon they can defeat it, then terrorism would have achieved one of its objectives,” warned doctor of public law Riadh Guerfali.
Links for more information:
http://nawaat.org/portail/2015/06/26/kantaoui-hommes-detat-terrorisme-et-effet-pavlov/
http://www.ennahdha.tn/
https://youtu.be/OUY8MGQA1fQ
http://kapitalis.com/tunisie/2015/06/28/apres-bardo-et-sousse-lislamisme-na-plus-de-place-en-tunisie/
5) SAHEL
Tchad
» 29.06.2015 Mesures de Sécurité Renforcées au Tchad
Dix-sept personnes au moins ont été tuées au cours d’une opération de la police tchadienne contre des membres présumés du groupe islamiste Boko Haram dans un quartier de N’Djamena tôt le lundi 29 juin. Cinq policiers, onze éléments supposés de Boko Haram ainsi qu’un informateur de la police auraient été victimes d’une explosion au moment de l’interpellation. Cette opération a été menée suite au double attentat meurtrier qui a fait, selon un nouveau bilan communiqué par le parquet, 38 morts dont les trois kamikazes le 15 juin dans la capitale tchadienne. Avant cette opération, le parquet de N’Djamena avait annoncé “le démantèlement et l’arrestation d’une soixantaine de personnes” dont des ressortissants tchadiens, camerounais, nigérians et maliens.
Suite à la double attaque du 15 juin, le gouvernement tchadien a renforcé ses mesures de sécurité. Décision a été prise d’interdire sur l’ensemble du territoire national la couverture intégrale du visage, ce qui inclut la burqa. Il a aussi été annoncé qu’il pourra être procédé à des fouilles ciblées et inopinées des domiciles ainsi qu’à certains points de contrôle et places publiques. Parmi les mesures annoncées récemment figurent aussi le changement des cartes d’identité nationale et des passeports en cours, la révision totale des structures et consignes de sécurité avec la mise en place d’un système d’alerte et d’un dispositif sécuritaire réactif. Ces décisions n’ont pas été sans susciter de vives critiques du côté des défenseurs des droits humains et d’une partie de la communauté musulmane.
Lien(s) pour plus d’information :
http://fr.africatime.com/tchad/articles/ndjamena-linterdiction-du-voile-integral-apres-un-attentat-divise-les-musulmans
http://www.rfi.fr/emission/20150617-roland-marchal-quel-type-faille-il-y-le-systeme-securitaire-tchadien
http://makaila.over-blog.com/2015/06/tchad-mahamat-zene-cherif-en-danger
http://fr.africatime.com/tchad/articles/tchad-arrestation-du-directeur-dalwihda
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