[This is a roundup of news articles and other materials circulating on the Maghreb and reflects a wide variety of opinions. It does not reflect the views of the Maghreb Page Editors or of Jadaliyya. You may send your own recommendations for inclusion in each week's roundup to maghreb@jadaliyya.com by Thursday night of every week.]
Amazigh
Cinq choses à savoir sur le calendrier de Yennayer Baki 7our Mansour explores the meaning of the Amazigh New Year.
Migration
On the Trail of Migrant Smugglers IRIN breaks through commonly held misperceptions about the nature of human trafficking, revealing the changing nature of migration in North Africa.
Migrants fleeing Syria and Africa risk injury to enter Melilla, the gateway to Europe - in pictures Juan Medina captures the dangers of border crossing from Morocco to the Spanish enclave of Melilla, where migrants brave violent security forces and razor-topped fences.
Algeria
Watching Out in High Politics: Algeria Kal outlines important trends to monitor on the eve of elections in Algeria (scheduled for April 14).
Louisa Hannoune annonce sa participation à la présidentielle The Secretary General of Algeria’s Workers’ Party, Louisa Hannouna, announces her run for presidency.
Lotfi Double Kanon s'en prend à Sellal et se prononce contre le quatrième mandat de Bouteflika Hadjer Guenafa interviews Algerian rapper Lotfi Double Kanon about religion, politics, and the price of speaking out.
Libya
Weakened Prime Minister Ali Zeidan admits army ignores him Sami Zaptia speculates that Zeidan’s statements reveal tensions between his government and also within the GNC.
Academy of American Poets Elects Khaled Mattawa to Board of Chancellors (WITH SELECTED WORKS) Libyan poet and activist Khaled Mattawa will become one of fifteen members of the Academy of American Poets’ Board of Chancellors.
Libye: Dans les prisons illégales de Tripoli Joan Tilouine offers insight into Libyan militia’s illegal prisons.
Mauritania
Hot Heads and Cold Shoulders Anita Hunt draws attention to protests at the Canadian Kinross company’s mines – the protests were violently dispersed by security forces but got little media attention.
حقيقة ماجرى في نواذيبو ... صور Mauritannet offers insight into the true nature of the Noudhibou protests, refuting suggestions that Al Qaeda was present.
Le Mail et le Mauritnanie signent un accord contre "les groupes terroristes" Mauritanian President Abdel Aziz declares that he will not tolerate the presence of terrorists in Mauritania.
Rural exodus disrupts social order in Mauritania IRIN cites slavery, food crisis, and urban migration as causes of new social breakdowns in rural Mauritania, where families are experiencing increasing cases of debt, divorce, and abandonment.
"Yes, I will leave the online world" Mauritanian net activist Mazid Ould ElSheikh leaves the online world after threats from extremists and demands from father.
Morocco
نظرية الألعاب في تقارب اليسار الديمقراطي و جماعة العدل و الإحسان Zouhair B. uses game theory to evaluate a potential alliance between Morocco’s radical left and Al Adl wal Ihsane.
The question of race in Morocco Mohamed Benaziz writes about entrenched racial hierarchies in Moroccan society.
Tunisia
Inside Tunisia's Post Revolutionary Protests Chantal Berman describes fragmentation among Tunisia’s 2011 revolutionaries.
Tunisia: Improve Guarantees for Judicial Independence Human Rights Watch urges stronger language guaranteeing a separation of powers in the developing Tunisian constitution.
Tunisia’s Ennahda movement, maybe learning from Egypt and Turkey, compromises to remain relevant Ahmed E. Souaiaia regards Ennhada’s ceding of power in keeping with Tunisia’s political roadmap, to be a sign of democratic process.
Tunisia's Arab Spring: Three Years On Robert Joyce and Asma Smahdi highlight gains in Tunisia’s political developments but also point out stumbling blocks, particularly in the economy.
RSF Appelle les députés à amender l'article 124 sur l'autorité de régulation Reporters Without Borders expresses serious concern over article 124 of the Tunisian constitution, stating a regression in freedom of information.
Medical Students Vow to Maintain Strike Simon Speakman Cordall speaks with Tunisia’s striking medical students, who vow that they will not end their strike until a proposed law requiring them to serve three years in public hospitals is struck down.
Western Sahara
Rabat Regime and Western Sahara: Marketing of Illusions Khalil Asmar describes the Moroccan regime’s efforts to promote a narrative about the Western Sahara that is in opposition to international law.
Recent Jadaliyya Articles on the Maghreb
The Tindouf Refugee Camps: A Moroccan's Reflections Nadir Bouhmouch describes his recent visit to the Tindouf refugee camps and measures his experience to the representations presented in his home country.
ليبيا: دولة الميليشيات Wissam Mata describes the deteriorating state of security in Libya and portends a bleak outcome given increased decentralization of power to local armed militias.
Tunisia: A New Prime Minister for Old Politics? Stefano Maria Torelli profiles Tunisia’s new Prime Minister, Mehdi Jomaa.
New Texts Out Now: Samia Errazzouki, Working-Class Women Revolt: Gendered Political Economy in Morocco Jadaliyya interviews Maghreb Page editor Samia Errazzouki on her recent article in the North African Studies Journal.
After Mauritania’s Elections: Toward Reform or a Political Charade? Hassan Ould Moctar analyzes the latest round of elections in Mauritania.
Emel Mathlouthi at Cairo's Qasr El Nil Theatre Jadaliyya Culture and Madrar TV cover Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi at Cairo’s Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival.
Drug Trafficking in Northwest Africa: The Moroccan Gateway Abdelkader Abderrahmane examines the history of Morocco’s cannabis cultivation and its drug trade with Europe.
Implications of Morocco's Bifurcated Educational System Yasmine El Baggari situates her own experiences as a student in the Moroccan educational system, caught between a colonial model and failed indigenous policies.
الثورة الجزائرية: محاورة الماضي Jadaliyya Reports on the anniversary of the Algerian Revolution with a series of articles and spotlight analyses.
Blasti – C’est ma place Jadaliyya Reports on a new Tunisian photography project that encourages women to use this medium to communicate about their relationship to their city.