Maghreb Edition

Tunisia: President fires Tunisia rep in UN over his criticism of US Mideast planF



Posted On 7 February 2020

Number of times this article was read : 370

Tunis, Feb 7, 2020 – Tunisia fired its ambassador to the UN on Friday accusing him of failing to consult the foreign ministry on key issues that diplomatic sources said included Washington’s controversial Middle East peace plan. “Tunisia’s ambassador to the United Nations has been dismissed for purely professional reasons concerning his weak performance and lack of coordination with the ministry on important matters under discussion at the UN,” a foreign ministry statement said.

Diplomatic sources said that ambassador Moncef Baati, who has occupied a seat at the UN Security Council since the start of the year, had gone further than President Kais Saied wanted in his criticism of US President Donald Trump’s long-delayed peace plan.

Saied, a political outsider who only took office in November after a surprise election victory, was concerned that Baati’s expressions of support for the Palestinians risked damaging Tunisia’s relations with the United States, the sources said. “It was quite a shock to hear that. I don’t know all the details, the reason behind this,” Ambassador Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve of Belgium, which holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council, said of the sacking. “He was a very good colleague and I really very much regret to see him leave,” he added.

Another diplomat and member of the Security Council, who did not wish to be identified, said that Baati was “the right person” to negotiate a resolution wanted by the Palestinians. Baati’s swift recall to Tunis meant that he missed a closed doors briefing of the Security Council on Thursday by the US plan’s architect, Trump adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner. After the briefing, Kushner blamed Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas for a spike in violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories since the plan was unveiled on January 28. Abbas “calls for days of rage in response and he said that even before he saw the plan,” Kushner told reporters in New York. Abbas is due at the UN next week to oppose the plan and demand adherence to international law.

The Palestinians hope to push for a Security Council resolution condemning the Trump plan, but any text will almost certainly be vetoed by the United States. A veteran diplomat, Baati was in retirement last year when he was asked to return to active duty and represent Tunisia at the United Nations.

By AFP

Podcast: Development Without Aid: Power, Politics, and Local Resilience in the Global South$

A conversation with Dr. Kate Schecter, President and CEO of World Neighbors, on how community-led development works in practice across the Global South.

Subscribe to Urgent Notifications and Newsletter

Most Recent Stories from the Region

Egypt joins China’s tariff-free initiative as Beijing opens its market to nearly all of AfricaF

Egypt joined China’s expanded zero-tariff scheme on 1 May 2026, gaining duty-free access to the Chinese market alongside 52 other African countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing. The move eliminates tariffs that previously ran from 8 to 30 percent on key Egyptian exports, though the arrangement is a two-year preferential window through April 2028 rather than a permanent deal, and non-tariff barriers like rules of origin and phytosanitary standards still apply.

While its minorities are winning World Cup games, France is preparing to pivot to the far rightF

As France’s multiethnic World Cup squad marches toward the semifinals, the country’s 2027 presidential race is tilting hard right. Right-winger Marine Le Pen leads first-round polling and beats nearly every rival in hypothetical runoffs. With RN president Jordan Bardella waiting in the wings and Jean-Luc Mélenchon consolidating the left, France’s fractured center may not be able to stop either a far-right or hard-left runoff in 2027. Here is our take.

Egypt Clears $6.1 Billion Oil and Gas Arrears, Energy Sector Looks to Rebuild Investor TrustF

Egypt has fully paid the $6.1 billion in arrears it owed foreign oil and gas partners, ending a multi-year backlog tied to its foreign-currency crunch. With the debt paid down to zero by mid-2026, officials are pairing the settlement with new investment incentives and a push to revive onshore drilling, aiming to reverse years of declining crude output.

Written by The North Africa Journal

The North Africa Journal is a leading English-language publication focused on North Africa. The Journal covers primarily the Maghreb region and expands its general coverage to the Sahel, Egypt, and beyond, when events in those regions affect the broader North Africa geography. The Journal does not have any affiliation with any institution and has been independent since its founding in 1996. Our position is to always bring our best analysis of events affecting the region, and remain as neutral as humanly possible. Our coverage is not limited to one single topic, but ranges from economic and political affairs, to security, defense, social and environmental issues. We rely on our full staff analysts and editors to bring you best-in-class analysis. We also work with sister company MEA Risk LLC, to leverage the presence on the ground of a solid network of contributors and experts. Information on MEA Risk can be found at www.MEA-Risk.com.