European Union

Since time immemorial, North Africa has been a land of rebellion and resistance against foreign invaders and illegitimate rulers. Today’s armed extremism is more complex, with its indiscriminate targeting and ever-expanding effects. Widespread international connections, effective use of communication technologies and a vast reservoir for recruitment, have made the Maghreb radical movements a lethal and durable threat not only to North Africa itself, but increasingly to the weak states of the Sahel and the wider Mediterranean region.

It is now over 15 years since extremist groups first took arms against the Algerian government after the flawed 1992 parliamentary elections. The long lifespan of this armed extremism is exceptional, as are the widespread local, regional and international connections of the extremist groups and their continued attraction for large segments of the population – not only among disenfranchised youth.

The extremists have demonstrated a particularly strong capacity to resist professional governmental forces, enabling them to carry out individual and mass killings of innocent citizens. No one is left to feel safe; local Muslim populations are targeted as well as foreigners, rural as well as urban populations, and women as well as men. Among the characteristics of the Maghreb’s violent extremists are extraordinary capacities to move foot soldiers and equipment across borders and organise hostage takings and other sophisticated attacks. The business of hostage taking and the long, often dubious, negotiations that follow enable the terrorist organisation to gain publicity and funds, making the payment of ransoms one of terrorists’ main sources of financing.

One of their objectives is to get local recognition, even through fear or disgust, so as to compete with other terror groups operating in the same area. Most violent extremist movements have repeatedly  demonstrated an extraordinary ability to develop successful and appealing modern communication policies. Regardless of the political contradictions, they do not hesitate – if it can help to meet their objectives – to make efficient use of tribal systems they often denounce. Western governments underestimated this capacity to reach out to local populations and mobilise recruits among foreign youth.

“Even with migration to Europe or elsewhere, youth unemployment remains high”

For the last few years, barely a week goes by without a headline on terrorist activity in North Africa. Armed violence has become part of daily life. The most recent violence included the bloody attack on tourists visiting the Bardo Museum in Tunis this past March, when almost 20 people, mostly tourists, became innocent victims. The assassination of the French climber Hervé Gourdel last autumn in eastern Algeria was another cold-blooded killing by the “Caliphate Soldiers”, a jihadist group affiliated to the Daesh, or the Islamic State. The raid on a gas plant at In Amenas, Algeria, in January 2012, should be a permanent reminder of how determined and well-organised these terrorist groups are. That spectacular military-style operation was meant to grab attention in the international media, with the ultimate objective of gaining an edge over competitors in AQIM (Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb).

Libya is in turmoil after years of irresponsible governance that has planted the seeds of extremism within its own territory and around all its borders. The chaos that followed the demise of Muammar Gaddafi continues to generate instability. There are roaming radical elements, including from Daesh and its Al-Qaeda-affiliated rivals; flows of all kinds of weapons; trafficking in drugs, migrants, cigarettes and more.

Looking back at an almost quarter-century of armed violence in the Maghreb, one cannot but ask why there has been so much blood letting and destruction of vital economic infrastructure. The root causes of the entrenched extremism and armed violence in the Maghreb lie, as in many other parts of the world, in a combination of causes. While some are not unique to the region, a few are specific to North Africa.

“Ineffective governance is a leading cause of the enduring armed violence”

The major causes of the structured armed extremism include: inadequate governance; strong demographic growth not matched by a robust economy; massive internal migration to overcrowded cities; inadequate education system; neglect of citizens’ aspirations especially in housing, water and health; and deep frustration over the lack of a credible future. These causes are exacerbated by weak or non-existent economic, political and security cooperation between the main regional powers – Algeria and Morocco.

Ineffective governance is a leading cause of the enduring armed violence. With restricted space for free debate, limited economic prospects and the heritage of their freedom-fighter fathers, many young people, especially Algerians, engaged in radical activities. They went as far away as Afghanistan, where many served as volunteer combatants after the Soviet invasion of 1979. In a much more limited number, Tunisians and Moroccans went also to fight in Afghanistan, and their return introduced armed radicals to the Maghreb. External funding from individuals in other Muslim countries reinforced their capacities.

The failings of Algeria’s 1992 parliamentary election and the subsequent frustration over the results encouraged these returnees to take up arms against their own government. They engaged in a merciless uprising. More than 10 years of civil saw over 100,000 deaths. Many observers date the beginnings of today’s insecurity in the Maghreb and the Sahel to that period.

Despite economic progress, the three main North African countries have been unable to meet the aspirations of their young people. Even with migration to Europe or elsewhere, youth unemployment remains high. By combatting terrorists at home, the Algerians pushed them further south into the Sahel exposing the fragile states of Mali, Mauritania and Niger to a brutal new terrorist threat. Without French intervention, Mali would have fallen to the combatants in January 2013.

Finally, the deficit in security cooperation between Algeria and Morocco and their decades-old struggle for pre-eminence continues to hinder a credible fight against armed extremism in the Maghreb. Unable to stabilise Libya, the two sister states may, unwillingly, be strengthening armed extremism and helping it expand further, to Mediterranean Europe after the havoc it has already brought to the Sahel.

The post The root causes of extremist movements in North Africa appeared first on Europe’s World.

EU Ministers of European Affairs, Industry, Research and related areas meet in Brussels on 28-29 May 2015 to discuss topics such as the cohesion and deepening of the internal market, the digitalisation of the intra-EU trade and the common research area, digital single market strategy, package travels, the possibility of creation of a new European form of single-member private limited liability companies, and consumer product safety and market surveillance.

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On 26 May, Latvian Minister for Welfare Mr Uldis Augulis will open the meeting of the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) during which a thematic day entitled "Effective Labour Inspection Interaction: Control versus Advice" and the 68th plenary meeting dealing with important working environment supervision issues will take place.

On 26 May, Latvian Minister for Welfare Mr Uldis Augulis will open the meeting of the Senior Labour Inspectors Committee (SLIC) during which a thematic day entitled "Effective Labour Inspection Interaction: Control versus Advice" and the 68th plenary meeting dealing with important working environment supervision issues will take place.

The Franco-German contribution ahead of today's Brussels meeting contains little detail

When eurozone leaders decided last year it was time for another look at overhauling their common currency, the main driver was Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank chief who has been one of the main figures behind the push to make the eurozone a more fully integrated and centralised union.

But in the months since a Draghi-backed decision for the eurozone’s four presidents – the heads of the European Commission, European Council, eurogroup and ECB – to present another blueprint on the way forward at June’s EU summit, the appetite among political leaders for a step change, always lukewarm, has cooled even more.

If documents sent around to national capitals in recent days ahead of Tuesday’s Brussels meeting of EU “sherpas” – the top EU advisers to all 28 prime ministers – are any indication, the report being pulled together may propose little more than a bit of euro housekeeping in the near term. Although more ambitious plans could be included, the leaked documents show they will be relegated to the medium and long term – a tried and true EU tradition that is normally a recipe for bureaucratic burial.

Among the documents obtained by the Brussels Blog are a three-page summary of what the new report will look like (posted here) as well as a Franco-German contribution (the French version is here) and that of the Italian government (conveniently in English, here).

Although the Italians emerge as the most ambitious reformers of the lot, the “note for discussion by sherpas” makes pretty clear that the measures being contemplated for immediate action are the leftovers from recent reform efforts – streamlining and clarifying the EU’s crisis-era budget rules, for instance, and adding a bit more financial heft to the EU’s bank bailout fund.

EU Chief Officers of Plant Health Services, representatives from EU Commission and Secretariat-General will meet in informal meeting on 27 - 28 May in Riga to discuss harmonisation of procedures on plant and plant product import control and other plant health issues.

EU Chief Officers of Plant Health Services, representatives from EU Commission and Secretariat-General will meet in informal meeting on 27 - 28 May in Riga to discuss harmonisation of procedures on plant and plant product import control and other plant health issues.

With an aim to foster a coherent European Union's (EU) inland and marine waters policy in all the Member States, on 26 - 27 May, under the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, informal meeting of Water and Marine Directors of the EU will be held in Riga.

On 27-28 May, Riga will host the International Conference on ICT for Information Accessibility in Learning (ICT4IAL). The conference will present guidelines developed over the past two years for the use of ICT in the learning process making the information more accessible, including for people with special needs. Issues covered at the conference correspond to one of the main priorities of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU – Digital Europe.

On 26 - 27 May, 2015  international conference “EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 - implementation” will be held in Riga. During the conference representatives from EU Member States and non-governmental organisations will discuss the preservation of biodiversity.

 Today we mark the passage of one year since former President Michel Sleiman of Lebanon left office. This protracted Presidential vacuum poses serious risks for the country as a whole. It has undermined the functioning of all institutions and Lebanon's ability to address the difficult security, social and economic challenges facing the country.

The EU recalls the Presidential Statement adopted by the UNSC on March 19th. The EU calls on all political forces to take decisive action to elect a new President. It is crucial that all parties uphold the Constitution, fully implement the Taef Agreement, and the National Pact. The EU underlines the importance of dialogue among all political forces to overcome this deepening crisis. The EU supports Prime Minister Tammam Salam in his efforts to govern the country in such difficult times. The EU calls on all Members of the Parliament to uphold Lebanon's longstanding democratic tradition and to convene to elect a President without further delay in line with the Constitution. 

Now in its fifth year, the conflict in Syria continues to affect the stability of Lebanon. A new set of complex security threats are further exacerbating the crisis. The EU reiterates its commitment to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Lebanon. The EU calls for a renewed commitment to the dissociation policy by all political parties, putting the interest of Lebanon and its stability first. The EU fully supports the efforts of all Lebanese security agencies to maintain stability and respond to the security challenges. That is why the EU has stepped up its assistance to the Lebanese Armed Forces and to the security sector as a whole. 

Also of pressing concern is the refugee crisis. The EU commends the Lebanese authorities and population for their generous efforts to host, assist and protect the refugees fleeing the conflict in Syria and, at the same time, stresses the importance of upholding human rights and humanitarian principles. The EU welcomes the indispensable work of UNHCR as well as other UN agencies and international organisations in support of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon. The EU will continue to fulfil its commitment as the largest donor in Lebanon addressing the growing needs of vulnerable communities and refugees. At the donor's conference in Kuwait at the end of March the EU pledged another 1.1 billion EUR including a multi-year humanitarian and development funding for refugees and host countries. 

The EU stands by Lebanon in its efforts to address these extraordinary challenges. Our commitment in support of Lebanon is firm and lasting. The EU reaffirms its strong partnership with Lebanon anchored in our common values of democracy, pluralism and rule of law. The EU highlights the importance of upholding Lebanon's freedom and diversity as a model of moderation in the entire region.   

1.         The 24th session of the Joint Council and Ministerial Meeting of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) and the European Union (EU) was held in Doha, Qatar on 24 May 2015. The GCC delegation was led by H.E. Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar as GCC rotating Presidency, and the EU delegation was led by H.E. Federica Mogherini, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission. The GCC Secretariat was represented by H.E. Dr. Abdul Latif bin Rashed Al-Zayani, GCC Secretary General. The Ministers extended their appreciation to the State of Qatar for having hosted the meeting.

2.         GCC and EU Ministers underlined the importance of further strengthening their ties, to serve as a solid and effective foundation for regional and international stability and security. Both sides welcomed the enhancement of their political dialogue, notably through the holding of regular GCC-EU Senior Officials meetings, noting in particular the most recent one held in Brussels on 5 May 2015.

3.         The Ministers exchanged views and identified common concerns and priorities with regard to the situation in the region, notably on Yemen, Iran, Libya, Syria, Iraq, and the Middle East Peace Process. They took note of the Riyadh Conference on 17-19 of May and agreed on the need to seek a solution to the Yemeni conflict on the basis of the UN Security Council Resolution 2216, the GCC Initiative and the Outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference. The Ministers also addressed global issues of common interest, in particular counter terrorism, and strongly condemned the heinous attack against worshippers in Qatif, Saudi Arabia on 22 May. They underlined the strategic importance for the EU and the GCC to coordinate closely on these developments. 

4.         GCC and EU Ministers reviewed progress in the GCC-EU relationship and endorsed the minutes of the latest Joint Cooperation Committee held in Brussels on 4 May 2015. The Ministers expressed determination to address together common political, social, economic, and security challenges. Ministers noted with satisfaction that two-way trade represented more than €148 billion in 2014, a very significant increase from the €100 billion recorded in 2010.

5.         The Ministers welcomed cooperation initiatives undertaken since the last Ministerial, notably through the GCC-EU dialogues on the economy, air transport, the energy experts group, exchanges on railway transport, trade with a focus on sanitary,  phytosanitary and standardisation issues, as well as cooperation on economic diversification in the context of Climate Change, of particular importance in the context of the upcoming 21st UNFCCC Conference of Parties to be held in Paris in December 2015. Ministers looked forward to expanded GCC-EU relations through increased people to people contacts, and further cooperation in the social, economic, educational, cultural and scientific fields, and human rights.

6.         GCC and EU Ministers agreed to hold their next meeting in the EU in 2016.

On Wednesday 27 May, the Amber – the Baltic Jewel exhibition will open at the Goldsmiths' Centre in London. The exhibition will feature amber jewellery, photographs and textile art.