Author: Ismail Dbara

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Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi (photo: Reuters)

Essebsi breaks with Ennahda

Farewell to Tunisia's "national consensus"

The decision by Caid Essebsi to end five years of consensus politics is likely to heighten sociopolitical tensions in the North African state and deepen a burgeoning economic crisis. Tunisian journalist Ismail Dbara analyses the reasons for the break-up and the consequences for democratisation within the countryMore

Tunisia and the EU: Bolster the young democracy!Interview with Hele Beji: "Ennahda has an unbelievable capacity to adjust"Interview with Moncef Marzouki: ''We don't have a magic wand''
Non-fasting demonstrators in Tunis protest the daytime closure of cafes and restaurants during Ramadan, 27.05.2018 (photo: Ismail Dbara)

The right not to fast during Ramadan

Tunisians call on the Constitution

Tunisiaʹs Constitution of 2014 may guarantee freedom of conscience and belief, but the country has not resolved the debate surrounding the non-observance of Ramadan in public. Ismail Dbara reports from TunisMore

The tradition of Ramadan: Which image of God determines ritual behaviour?Lessons from the unrest in Tunisia: Free in name onlyTunisia seven years after the Arab Spring: Facing an uncertain future
Demonstrations and protests against price hikes on 12.01.2018 in Tunis (photo: picture-alliance/abaca/Y. Gaidi)

Lessons from the unrest in Tunisia

Free in name only

Although the protests in Tunisia are gradually dying down, the country′s political class still finds itself confronted with dissatisfaction from large sections of the population. Alongside political freedoms, the government now also needs to keep the social promises of 2011, says Tunisian journalist Ismael DbaraMore

Social unrest in Tunisia: You′re on your ownProtests rock Tunisia: A winter of discontentPost-revolution transformation in Egypt and Tunisia: Let them eat cake!

In brief

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Most Recent Photo Essay

Iran bearing the brunt: with a high number of deaths and cases, Iran has been a regional epicentre of the outbreak. Several top officials have been infected and there are concerns the number of cases are higher than reported. The government has cancelled Friday prayers but health workers have complained they are under-equipped. Iran has asked the International Monetary Fund for emergency funding

Coronavirus in the Middle East: Lock down or play down?

Countries such as Kuwait and Israel have instituted virtual lockdowns in the face of COVID-19, while religious gatherings have been limited at a time of year ripe with ritual. Others have been slower to act. By Tom Allinson