In Iraqi Kurdistan’s September 2017 referendum on independence, 92% of the population in Kurdish-held areas voted in favour of secession. Yet dreams of independence were shattered quickly. In response to the referendum’s result,… Continue reading
“There is the issue of compatibility of Islam and democracy”, but in the recent past, the people of the Middle East have “spoken loudly about rejecting strongmen and have pushed out dictators.” But… Continue reading
“We presume that as a peacebuilding community, what we need to be doing is engaging more politically and ensuring that our interventions are inclusive […]. This inclusive posture is actually conflict-inducing, and it’s… Continue reading
“Libya has lost a golden opportunity. […] I don’t see how we can move forward with the constitution under the current conflict.” For War and Peace Talk, former Libyan Minister of Justice Salah… Continue reading
“The judiciary [in Libya] was unable to keep itself independent from the political crisis”, holds Salah al-Marghani, former Minister of Justice in Libya (2012 – 2014). Al-Marghani explains the plight of the Libyan… Continue reading
“Warlords fear that they would be prosecuted in a stable Libya. That they would become rejected, and loose their grip on power … These elements are on both sides.” Salah al-Marghani, former Minister… Continue reading
“In a sense, in Libya the cart was put before the horse, […] they had elections before they had any of the institutions that in most circumstances really give elections meaning” For War… Continue reading
“Whoever controls the money in a sense controls politics in Libya” Professor Dirk Vandewalle (Dartmouth College) examines the current conflict in Libya between the two parallel governments fighting for state control. The recent… Continue reading
In the wake of the Ben Ali regime, Security Sector Reform in Tunisia still remains a major challenge for the nascant democratic state. Civil society organizations, Dr. Moncef Kartas (project coordinator of the… Continue reading
“To democracy there is more than just having a constitution and conducting elections” In a critical reflection on the current Tunisian political situation, Dr Moncef Kartas (project coordinator of the North Africa Security Assessment,… Continue reading
“The euphoria for the Arab spring has disappeared in Tunisia. […] There is a high sense of insecurity, […] also due to the tendency for sensationalism and lack of professionalism of Tunisian media”… Continue reading