Analysis

On 25 July, Tunisia’s President Kais Saied fired his prime minister, dismissed his cabinet, and dissolved parliament. He subsequently deployed the military to secure the prime minister’s office and the parliament, and pledged to appoint new interior, defense, and foreign affairs ministers. The president declares that it is a constitutionally permissible house cleaning. His opponents say it’s a coup.

One week to the day after he was appointed by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Prime Minister Aymen Benabderrahmane announced his government. It’s not an awfully remarkable cabinet, but there are some interesting aspects that merit further analysis.

Morocco is increasingly frustrated that the US’s decision to recognize Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed territory of Western Sahara has not borne more fruit and faster. In fact, what Rabat saw as a sea change has not produced the ground swell of international support for its territorial ambitions that it had expected.

Campaigning for Algeria’s 12 June legislative election ended on 8 June and there is no clear sense of whether any candidates convinced anyone of anything ahead of Saturday’s vote. Making matters more complicated, it is impossible to tell who is up, who is down, who is in, and who is out because there is no pre-election polling in Algeria. None. It does not exist. Never has.