Shield and Alert: Maghreb Bound

Tunisian SMEs say a new rule requiring a 20% bank guarantee for service contracts risks shutting them out of the market and harming the country’s business climate, with experts urging the government to revise the measure.

Factories that once hummed with activity along Mauritania’s Atlantic coast now stand silent, their doors shut as fish stocks plunge and communities struggle to adapt. In Morocco, the warning signs are just as stark—sardine landings in key southern ports have nearly halved, and locals worry that they might soon face the same fate as their neighbors to the south.

Youth-led protests have spread across Moroccan cities, demanding better healthcare, education, and job opportunities. Organized online, the demonstrations have faced a heavy police presence and led to nearly 200 arrests, highlighting growing frustration over government spending on sports facilities instead of social services.