VOLUME 7 - ISSUE 4 AUTUMN 2018 NORTH AFRICA INHOPE TROUBLED TIMES Strengthening private Does ‘the economy, Deepening A tale of several sector engagement in stupid’ still apply in democracy in stories: EU-North Africa job creation in North North Africa? transitional Tunisia: relations revisited Africa James Moran, a new chapter for Silvia Colombo, Head of Lilia Hachem Naas, Associate Senior local governance the Mediterranean and Director of the United Research Fellow, Intissar Kherigi, Middle East Programme Nations Economic Centre for European co-founder of the at the Istituto Affari Commission for Africa Policy Studies Jasmine Foundation Internazionali Contents 3 Editorial 4 The state of transitions in North Africa ECDPM’s Great Insights magazine offers a quick and accessible summary of cutting-edge analysis on international cooperation and Europe-Africa Perspectives from North Africa relations. It includes an independent overview of analysis and commentary from a wide variety 6 Strengthening private sector engagement in job creation in North of experts and high-level officials and provides Africa: challenges and responses updates on policy debates in Africa and Europe. Lilia Hachem Naas, Director of the United Nations Economic Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of Commission for Africa (UNECA), Morocco individual authors. What is left for civil activism in Tunisia? Publisher European Centre for Development 10 Policy Management (ECDPM) Solidar Tunisia Executive editor Virginia Mucchi Guest editors Tasnim Abderrahim and Jean 13 Charting the way forward for women local mediators in Libya Bossuyt Zahra’ Langhi, Co-founder & CEO of the Libyan Women’s Platform Editorial and production assistance Jacquie Dias and Joyce Olders for Peace, Libya Web editor Jacquie Dias Language editors Michelle Luijben and Susan 17 Deepening democracy in transitional Tunisia: a new chapter for Hunt local governance Cover photo A girl in the crowd waves the Tunisian flag at the ‘Africa Celebrates Democracy’ Intissar Kherigi, member and co-founder of the Jasmine Foundation, concert. The concert was organised by the Mo Tunisia Ibrahim Foundation. It was held in Tunis, Tunisia, November 2011. Photo: Mo Ibrahim Foundation/ Defusing the terrorist mindset: a Maghrebi tale? Flickr. 20 Art direction and design of magazine template Fatim-Zohra El Malki, DPhil Candidate, University of Oxford, Yaseena Chiu-van ‘t Hoff United Kingdom Magazine concept San Bilal and Claudia Backes Layout and production Claudia Backes ECDPM Head office The Pelican House North Africa and international partnerships Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 21 6211 HE Maastricht Does ‘the Economy, Stupid’ still apply in North Africa? The Netherlands 24 Tel +31 (0)43 350 29 00 James Moran, Associate Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Fax +31 (0)43 350 29 02 European Policy Studies (CEPS), Belgium ECDPM Brussels office A tale of several stories: EU-North Africa relations revisited Rue Archimède 5 26 1000 Brussels Silvia Colombo, Head of the Mediterranean and Middle East Belgium Programme at the Istituto Affari Internazionali, Italy Tel +32 (0)2 237 43 10 Fax +32 (0)2 237 43 19 29 Morocco and Algeria in European migration policies ISSN: 2215-0593 (print) Mehdi Lahlou, National Institute of Statistics and Applied 2213-0063 (online) Economics (INSEA), Morocco For further information or to subscribe to our International support for economic reform in Tunisia: can it work E-newsletters, visit www.ecdpm.org/subscribe. 33 To order a hard copy of an ECDPM publication, with the grain? please email [email protected] Bruce Byiers, Head of Regional Integration Programme, ECDPM, The Netherlands This publication benefits from structural support by ECDPM’s institutional partners: The Netherlands, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, 36 New departures in Egypt’s relations with sub-Saharan Africa Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, Denmark and Amira Mohamed Abdel-Halim, Senior Researcher in international Austria. studies, Al Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies (ACPSS), Egypt Copyright: Prior permission is not required for quoting, translating or reproducing part of the contents of this publication, provided the source is fully acknowledged. Editorial North Africa was the birthplace of the Arab uprisings in late 2010. These concerns have brought significant uncertainty to North This movement affected all the countries in the region, albeit to Africa. At the same time, the region has attracted the interest varying degrees. And while protestors asked in unison for deep of old and new external actors. But what does this mean for the political and economic changes, the various governments in EU engagement in the region? In his article, James Moran looks North Africa responded differently to their demands. One critical deeper into answering this question. Despite ups and downs question remains today: after eight years, what is left of the in the relationship, the EU continues to be the most important popular uprisings that shook North Africa? This issue of Great commercial partner of North Africa. Acknowledging this fact, Insights will help us to answer this question. We invited a mix Silvia Colombo argues that it is time to move beyond excessive of authors from North Africa and Europe, with different areas of bilateralism and securitisation in EU-North Africa relations and expertise, to share their reflections on a host of burning issues. foster new forms of engagement. We begin by tackling a topic that was at the heart of the Migration has for long been a key topic for rapprochement – and Arab revolts: unemployment. Despite high or medium human tensions – in the EU’s relations with its southern neighbours. development across the region (see map on pages 4-5), youth While the EU wishes for stronger cooperation with these unemployment is still a persistent problem. Lilia Hachem Naas countries to reduce migrant flows, Maghreb countries are argues that the private sector can help to enhance economic grappling with similar challenges, as Mehdi Lahlou argues. growth and address unemployment in North Africa. Yet, much Morocco and Algeria are developing ways to address growing more needs to be done to boost jobs and productivity in the numbers of regular and irregular newcomers. In doing so they private sector. persevere in keeping their ties intact with both the EU and sub- Saharan countries. The discussion on the role of the private sector relates to the issue of what socio-economic models are needed today to boost For the EU, boosting investment is central to reducing migration growth and development. The North African civil society has been from the source countries. However, external actor engagement advocating for a development model that responds to people’s could be limited by stalling reforms in the partner country. aspirations for jobs and dignity. Despite severe backlash and a Looking at the case of Tunisia, ECDPM’s Bruce Byiers argues generally closing public space, civil society continues to push for that the slow pace of reform in Tunisia poses challenges to its change. The Tunisian non-governmental organisation SOLIDAR international partners. Given the political context, implementing delves into the experience of civic activism in Tunisia, the only wholesale reforms could be more difficult. Targeting small, democracy of the Arab world where civil activism still stands as incremental changes could turn out to be the right approach. a beacon of hope. But even there, the challenges are not minor. Not a reason for pessimism – but vigilance is needed to continue While North African countries strive to bolster their ties with the moving forward. EU, they also started looking southwards. Morocco, for instance, applied for full membership of the Economic Community of At the wake of the ‘Arab Spring’, some countries have collapsed West African States (ECOWAS) while, this year, Tunisia joined into conflict, as in the case of Libya. In this country, mediation the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). among the conflicting factions was a central priority for activists. Amira Abdel-Halim sheds light over the case of Egypt. Over In her contribution, activist Zahra’ Langhi tells us how women in the last few years, this state stepped up its engagement and particular pushed through ample difficulties to restore peace in diplomacy with sub-Saharan countries, motivated by economic the country. However, a myriad of factors limit their work. Langhi and geopolitical interests. calls for adequate measures to support their efforts. Touching on gender issues more widely, Langhi notes that women are more In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, the domestic landscape in adversely affected by conflict, and that fostering decentralisation North Africa and how this region interacts with other partners can have important implications for them. has tremendously changed in ways that no one could have foreseen. The issue of decentralisation has gained prominence since 2011. Given the legacy of highly-centralised government structures, The region is lingering in uncertainty, but social movements empowering local authorities is unlikely to be a smooth process. and community initiatives for a better governance show that Tunisia’s burgeoning decentralisation process – and Morocco’s populations in North Africa still hold to their aspirations for process of advanced regionalisation – offer some reasons for a brighter future. These are undoubtedly troubled times, but hope. In her contribution, Intissar Kherigi explores