North Africa’s Economy
Egypt: After wishing each other a happy new year, Egyptians see price hikes that will make 2024 not such a happy year
Immediately after “winning” a third term at the end of December 2023, President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi ordered the “progressive” dismantling of the so-called subsidies. Overnight, as the calendar shifted to 2024, the prices of electricity increased by as much as 26%. As you would expect many other products followed immediately, such as the prices for accessing the Internet up 33%, the price of Cairo metro ticket up by 20%. And that’s just the beginning. In the coming weeks and months, check out the prices of food and basic commodities soaring again, as the Egyptian Pound likely to lose more value.
North Africa’s use of drones in the agricultural sector
By Aymen Jamli: A drone buzzed back and forth above rows of verdant orange trees planted near Nabeul, eastern Tunisia. The black unmanned aircraft, equipped with a multi-lens camera and sensors, has been enlisted by Tunisian farmers to help adapt to years of drought...
Morocco: Managem denies hazardous levels of arsenic at Bou Azzer cobalt mine
Moroccan mining company Managem, controlled by Morocco's royal family, has refuted allegations linking its mining activities to arsenic contamination in the local water supply. Associated Press says Managem Group, a subsidiary of Al Mada Group, released a statement...
Libya: Companies flock to Benghazi for reconstruction projects
More than 260 Libyan and international companies on Wednesday attended a forum in Benghazi organised by the country's eastern authorities with the hope of rebuilding the flood-ravaged city of Derna. On September 10, Storm Daniel hit the east coast of Libya, causing...
Sahel: Impoverished Niger now has oil but it needs to build a pipeline and circumvent sanctions to export it
The military leaders who took power in Niger this year have commissioned a giant pipeline that will carry crude oil to neighbouring Benin, public television said Wednesday. The nearly 2,000-kilometre-long oil pipeline will allow Niger -- one of the world's poorest...
Sahel: Russia to build nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso's junta-led government signed a deal with Russia on Friday for the construction of a nuclear power plant to increase the energy supply to the Sahel country where less than a quarter of the population has access to electricity. It is the latest move by...
Tunisia’s economy minister sacked amid unprecedented financial crisis
Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked the economy minister on Tuesday and appointed the finance minister to the role on an interim basis, the presidency announced without giving any explanation. In a brief statement published on its official website, the presidency...
Libya: Decade-long Libya-Europe flight suspension ends with new Tripoli-Rome route
A Rome-bound aircraft departed on Saturday from Libya's capital, restarting flights to Italy after a nearly decade-long suspension due to an EU ban, authorities in Tripoli said. The European Union in 2014 halted flights operated by Libyan airlines and banned them from...
Sahel: Niger bans French aircraft from its airspace
Niger's military rulers have banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website. Niger's airspace is "open to all national and international commercial...
Tunisia suffers hours-long power outage
A sudden power outage hit Tunisia Wednesday, causing a nationwide blackout for about three hours due to technical problems, the electricity and gas company STEG said. The outage came about 1:00 am (0000 GMT) "due to a sudden breakdown" in the Rades power plant in the...