Can Tunisia’s Largest Labor Union Survive Saied?

Welcome to Foreign policyAfrica’s summary.

The most prominent events this week: Tunisian General Labor Union Miscellaneous protest stages to confront the system, Saied, Military Council Mali Former Prime Minister Choguel Maiga receives embezzlement, and he faces a lawsuit for a lawsuit for acceptance The deportees in the third countries From the United States.

The largest labor union in Tunisia is declining

Tensions reached months between Tunisian President Caiss Cais and the largest labor union in the country on Thursday when the group organized a demonstration in the capital of Tunisia, which was attended by up to 3,500 people.

The Tunisian General Union of Employment (UGTT), one of the few remaining voices criticizing the Cis administration, called for the march to protest what it described as a retreat from work and civil rights. “All the foundations of political and civil life have collapsed,” said Ugtt Noureddine Taboubi.

The Union is nearly 80 years old and was a major engine in Tunisia’s independence from France in 1956, where he organized strikes against the colonial rule. Her career was also decisive to the 2011 Arab Spring Revolution that overthrew the late Autocracy Ben Ali. Today, Ugtt represents about one million Tunisian workers.

When Saied entered his position for the first time in 2019, Ugtt largely agreed with the president, but he became more critical of his policies as his rule became more authoritarian.

Since the seizure of power in July 2021, SAIED was sentenced to a decree, broken the opposition and arrested dozens of political opponents and critics on charges of terrorism and crimes against the state. In 2022, parliament was dissolved, dozens of judges were fired, and the independent body responsible for judicial independence was replaced.

On August 7, Ugtt accused the president of the president of trying to storm the union’s headquarters in Tunisia after a three -day transportation strike at the country’s level, which was organized by the Federation on low wages and brought parts of the country to a dead end in late July. The anti -AGTT demonstrators accused the leadership of the Union of corruption and “wasting the people’s money”, according to a report from France 24.

“There are files that must be opened because people are accountable … so that their money can be returned to them,” said Says, who defended the AGTT control demonstration.

In recent years, UGTT has faced increasing general criticism amid internal leadership conflicts. In 2021, she removed the maximum period of her leaders-a decision that proved to be a dispute between his membership, which led to a call to step down. Some Tunisians were also angry at many strikes this year that affected companies amid the economic crisis in the country.

Meanwhile, Saied unions supported competing unions in an attempt to erode the UGTT power from its large membership base.

Days after protest at the UGTT headquarters, the SAIED administration canceled the Federation’s Public Employees’ Leave, a policy that allowed the Federation’s workers to take a paid vacation for the activities of the Union. The Tunisian government described politics as “illegal and illegal concession” and threatened to take legal measures against those who violate their guidance. This step may directly affect UGTT’s ability to organize mass protests.

Regional analysts view the weakening of Saal’s rights as an attempt to reduce the impact of UGTT in Tunisian society and thus prevent it from challenging the presidential authority.

next week

Thursday, August 28: The United Nations Security Council is discussing Haiti, where police officers, led by Kenyan, were discussing street gangs with limited success.

Friday, August 29: Kenya issues inflation data for August.

What we watch

Mali receives the former Prime Minister. The military government in Mali accused former Prime Minister Choguel Maiga of embezzlement after his arrest earlier this month. Maiga, who took office after the 2021 coup, was rejected last November after he publicly criticized the unclear timeline of the army to return the country to democratic rule.

The arrest of Maiga is the latest in a series of Hama by the Military Council against the opposition, and indicates that there may be internal fractures within the military council. Dozens of financial soldiers and the French embassy worker were arrested earlier this month due to an alleged coup plot attempt.

Another former former civilian prime minister, Moussa Mara, was recently detained after he was published on X about his “fixed solidarity” of the detained army critics. Mara held the position of Prime Minister from 2014 to 2015 during the era of former President Ibrahim Boubakar Keita.

Angola treats Internet crimes. The Angua authorities closed 25 mining sites in the cryptocurrency and arrested 60 Chinese citizens running them as part of the Interpol operation between June and August, and was involved in 18 African countries and the United Kingdom.

About 45 illegal power stations were operated to take digital currencies, as the Angolan police seized more than $ 37 million of equipment at sites. Equipment will be sold to support energy access in poor societies.

African countries have become a haven for Chinese encryption workers, which mainly attract the cheapest electricity costs, after Beijing imposed a ban on digital currency activities in 2021.

Eswatini faces the lawsuit. A group of lawyers and activists filed a lawsuit against the Aswini government regarding its decision to accept five horses from the third countries-all convicted criminals-from the United States in July. The lawsuit claims that the deal was unconstitutional and violated the due legal procedures. The case is to be heard in the Supreme Court in Swatini in September.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Uganda became the latest African country to accept a deal in the third countries with the Trump administration. This comes after Rwanda agreed this month to accept up to 250 phases from the United States.

“The temporary arrangement” covers the citizens of the third country “who may not be granted asylum in the United States but they hesitated or may have concerns about returning to their countries of origin.” He added that Uganda prefers to take in the event from other African countries and will not accept unacceptable minors or those who have criminal records.

This week traveling

The disadvantages of luxury tourism. Since more African governments look forward to luxury travel as a means to enhance their economies, major projects have already fueled protests and land accusations in Kenya, Tanzania and Seychelles.

The high -end resorts in Africa are often owned by foreigners and brought limited benefits to the local population, with a lot of their profits flowing abroad, according to a new research from the University of Manchester that was published in African studies review.

The study found that large, comprehensive resorts and national gardens that promote the benefits of conservation and “high -value, low -influential” holidays employ a few local population, and visitors spend little money in local communities.

Dream visa for tat. Nigeria suggested last week that it would impose mutual visa requirements on American citizens after Washington said it would require Nigerians to include all social media accounts, related phone numbers and emails used in the past five years in order to obtain a visa.

“What you impose on our citizens do, and we will establish your citizens to apply for our visas,” said Kimby Ebinva, a spokesman for the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In July, Washington restricted most Nigerian travelers with mono visas for three months. Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Youssef Tujjar suggested that this step may be linked to the Trump administration attempts to pressure Nigeria to accept the Venezuelan departments – an assertion that the American embassy in Abuja denies.

Read the most read this week

What we read

Dirty artificial intelligence extract. in RepublicImad Musa argues that even with international institutions promote artificial intelligence (AI) as an important engine for global development, technology growth can endanger African countries at the risk of dangerous environmental harm.

“Artificial Intelligence Data Centers, known for its intensive energy requirements, risked the continent’s closure in energy paths that may undermine its climatic and development goals,” Moussa wrote. “Since this infrastructure requires huge amounts of electricity, water and critical minerals, it may put the role of Africa as an energy supplier and a site for converting external environmental costs.”

Ivory Coast specialists. in GuardianEROMO EGBEJULE reports on the BaouléCore Archive Center in Abidjan, which aims to preserve and document the episodes of Ivorian music.

“Hundreds of records and tapes of Ivorian symbols such as Reine Pélagie and Daouda Le Emotional are stacked on the shelves alongside other black musicians such as Sun Ra and Youssou N’dour”, Egoli wrote.