Angola News Wire

The first investigating judge at the Tunis First Instance Court issued on Monday afternoon a detention warrant for a former director general of El Karama Holding and a contract party.

Twelve people were summoned as part of the investigation. This includes two on the run and as many for which detention warrents were issued; the rest are subjected to investigation while being kept at liberty, Spokesperson for the court Mohamed Zitouna Tuesday told TAP.

The investigating judge took up the case of malfunction in El Karama Holding management by order of the public prosecutor.

The twelve defendants face charges of complicity with public officials using their position to gain unjustified advantage for themselves or others and cause damage to the administration (Article 96 of the Penal Code).

The case was brought before the court following a complaint filed by the State litigation department. It was first assigned to the National Unit of Investigation into Financial Crimes coming under the National Guard.

The P
resident of the Republic shed light on breaches in El Karama Holding as he met last week with the Justice Minister.

El Karama Holding is in charge of the management of the property confiscated by the State after the Revolution.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Interior Minister Kamel Feki, Tuesday, made a visit to Medenine where he inspected the works of the land border unit in Zokra, governorate of Ben Guerdane.

It brings together the land border unit of the National Guard in Medenine which supervises all units and border posts under the governorate of Medenine.

The minister took notice of the components of this «major» project whose works are still underway.

Escorted by the Director General of Customs, the Director General of Security and Borders and the local Governor, Kamel Feki monitored the works at the Ras Jédir border post, the main crossing point between Tunisia and Libya.

The minister stressed the need to increase efforts to identify solutions allowing better fluidity of passage through this key post.

The Interior Minister will have a working session with his Libyan counterpart, Imed Trabelsi, at the Ras Jedir police station. It will focus on coordination between the two parties and review ways to overcome the difficulties encountered at the border
post to ease the movement of passengers and goods between Tunisia and Libya.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Over 260 personalities from the political scene and the civil society called for boycotting the local elections, scheduled for December 24, saying «this is a one more step to demolish the institutions of the Democratic Republic.»

In a collective petition published, on Tuesday, by the “Soumoud” Coalition, the signatories underlined this electoral event takes place in a context marked by an unprecedented political crisis and repression against the civil society.

“The ruling power takes legal action against its opponents to ban political pluralism and put an end to the peaceful alternation in power.”

They urged democratic and progressive forces to create a united front against what they describe as “the authoritarian choice adopted by the power in place” and save the country from a “deep” crisis, the petition reads.

Spokesperson for the Independent High Authority for Elections, Mohamed Tlili Mnasri, stressed that this boycott «will not affect the process of local elections.»
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Pre
sse

The prison authorities at Manouba women’s prison, where Abir Moussi is being held, have been “lax” in providing medical care, according to Ali Bejaoui, a member of the defence committee of the president of the Free Destourian Party (PDL), who denounced “a major human and procedural error”.

At a press conference held on Tuesday at the party’s headquarters in Tunis to provide an update on Abir Moussi’s state of health, the lawyer stressed that his client was going through a difficult period and that her condition had deteriorated, adding that the defence’s constant requests to take care of her situation had only recently been met.

In a press release issued on December 8, Moussi’s defence team said that the PDL leader had been in pain for several weeks and that she had been transferred to Kassab hospital for specialist medical advice and necessary tests.

At the press conference, Bejaoui took the opportunity to reiterate that Moussi’s case was clearly marred by several “procedural flaws” that could amount to
“procedural corruption”.

In this context, he cited as examples the violations of the authorisation to open an investigation, the seizure and the detention files.

The lawyer added that these measures were not taken in a proper manner in accordance with the rules of law and procedure laid down by the Prosecutor General of the Tunis Court of Appeal, who is the only authority authorised to act in such matters where a lawyer is concerned, in accordance with the provisions of Article 46 of the 2011 Decree-Law on the Legal Profession.

For his part, Karim Krifa, a member of the defence committee, has called on the public prosecutor to provide “tangible proof” that the expert appointed to carry out expert opinions in the Moussi case is registered on the list of judicial experts. He promised to inform the ministry and the chief investigating judge of the “identity theft” offences found in the case.

The president of the PDL is accused of attempting to provoke a riot, processing personal data without the consent of t
he person concerned and obstructing freedom of work.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisia called on the international community to draw lessons from distant and recent history, and from past and present tragedies, to end the occupation and return to the Palestinian people all their legitimate and internationally recognised rights.

This came in a speech delivered on Tuesday by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, at the high-level ministerial event in Geneva.

The minister said Tunisia has always been in favour of peace based on justice and will continue to fully support just causes and the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, freedom and independence, according to a statement from the Foreign Ministry.

He reiterated Tunisia’s categorical rejection of all forms and attempts of expulsion and forced displacement of Palestinians.

He also urged those who take an irresponsible position to restore their credibility and act in accordance with their international obligations, calling on the media and journalists to carry out their dutie
s with all impartiality and professionalism and to preserve what can be preserved of the so-called “freedom of expression”.

Nabil Ammar said that it is unacceptable to adopt a narrative that does not distinguish between the occupied aggressor and its victim, and that decades of policies of arrogance and terrorism have failed to undermine the determination of the Palestinian people to claim their land and rights.

He added that after 17 years of blockade and 75 years of disenfranchisement, the Gaza Strip in Palestine is witnessing an unprecedented chapter of atrocities against Palestinians.

For the first time in modern history, the world is witnessing this level of crimes by a coalition using the world’s most advanced military means against unarmed civilians, innocent children, women and UN personnel, he pointed out.

He considered that the international community “has abdicated its responsibility to prevent and immediately stop this barbaric aggression and to hold the occupying power accountable for this ge
nocide”.

Nabil Ammar stressed that this organised failure “undermines the credibility of the multilateral system and turns the world into a vast jungle, in addition to being a colossal failure of the narrative of the parties that present themselves as beacons of values and democratic freedoms”.

He said the gap between the original objectives of the multilateral system and its actual achievements had become unbearable, in addition to the loss of confidence in it and the shaking of its credibility at the global level.

The world “has become governed by the power of arms alone and by predatory and irresponsible economics,” he said.

The Foreign Minister added that this dynamic points to an imminent threat to the right to life and to the security and sustainability of the planet, as “the genocide in Gaza is a perfect and shameful example of the failure of the system created since 1948”.

Nabil Ammar stressed that the world can no longer turn a blind eye to the real nature of the conflict, which remains a questi
on of occupation, confiscation of land, illegal settlements and systematic violations of human rights and genocide of a people since 1948.

He underlined Tunisia’s position on the urgent need for fundamental and democratic reforms at the level of global political, economic and financial governance, for greater accountability, credibility and effectiveness, recalling Tunisia’s leading, forward-looking and humanitarian positions and its standing for solutions, not problems.

Today’s high-level event in Geneva focused on “The situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law”.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Multilateralism in its current form has not served the African continent sufficiently, said Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, in a lecture he delivered on Tuesday at the Geneva Graduate Institute on “Global Issues and Perspectives: New multilateralism – the Role of the African continent”.

He stressed the need to review and restructure global governance.

Nabil Ammar underlined the importance of reviewing and restructuring global governance, taking into account the specificities and needs of developing countries and finding lasting solutions to all the problems they face, including the development deficit, excessive debt, brain drain and climate change.

He explained that with the emergence of countries with strong political and economic capacities, Africa can better position itself in the global system with its advantages, thanks to its youth, the diversity of its natural resources and its leadership, according to a statement from the ministry.

Turning to the African
Continental Free Trade Area, the Foreign Minister reviewed the great opportunities it represents for the continent and the African peoples as a catalyst for sustainable development. He highlighted a number of structural and organisational challenges that need to be addressed and integrated into regional thinking.

With regard to irregular migration, Nabil Ammar said that Tunisia was convinced that, if organised, migration would become a source of wealth and development for both host countries and migrants themselves. He recalled the approach advocated by Tunisia, based on universality and inclusiveness.

He stressed that Tunisia is fulfilling its commitments in the field of maritime rescue, combating smuggling networks and protecting the rights and dignity of migrants, while continuing to take the necessary and legitimate measures to protect its land and sea borders.

During his interaction with the students of the Institute, the Minister spoke about many current issues related to global, regional and nationa
l challenges, calling on them to always think freely and critically and to stay away from all forms of propaganda.

Nabil Ammar delivered the lecture at the invitation of the Geneva Graduate Institute, according to the same statement.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Interior Minister Kamel Feki and his Libyan counterpart Emad Trabelsi held a press conference on Tuesday at the Ras Jedir border crossing.

They reaffirmed their joint willingness to improve the performance of the control bodies at the Ras Jedir crossing and to take all necessary measures to streamline the movement of travellers, goods and commercial consignments.

The Interior Minister underlined the mutual understanding and coordination with the Libyan side for joint efforts in the development of monitoring systems at this crossing, stressing the need to regulate borders in general.

This includes the fight against organised crime that threatens national security, in particular drug trafficking, human trafficking, irregular migration and subversive activities that threaten the security of nations.

Feki commended the Libyan side for its commitment to controlling and securing border crossings, stressing the importance of these passages as secure avenues for bilateral exchanges between nations.

He underline
d the importance of addressing issues such as human trafficking and irregular migration in a timely manner, as they pose significant challenges that require proactive solutions.

The Minister praised the long-standing bilateral cooperation between Tunisia and Libya and expressed optimism about its continued growth. He highlighted joint efforts to control borders and find effective solutions to reduce the waiting time for Tunisians and Libyans at the Ras Jedir border crossing.

The Libyan Minister of Interior announced the complete handover of the Libyan Ras Jedir border crossing to the Libyan Ministry of Interior. Plans include technological, technical and human development, with advanced surveillance cameras to be installed within the next two weeks.

In addition, sophisticated inspection equipment will be installed at the Ras Jedir crossing to speed up the transit of travellers and reduce waiting times to a maximum of two hours during rush hours and one hour during normal hours.

Maintenance work will also
be carried out at the crossing in order to activate the joint Tunisian-Libyan crossing and open it in the near future.

Discussions with the Tunisian side are aimed at finding a comprehensive and lasting solution to the problems of congestion at the Ras Jedir crossing, a vital land link between Tunisia and Libya, by opening a new crossing at Mechhed Salah (Tataouine governorate).

He pointed to the implementation of a border security plan between the two countries and strengthening cooperation to set up joint units along the border from Ras Jedir to Mechhed Salah.

The Minister highlighted the installation of cameras and watchtowers, the result of close cooperation between the Tunisian and Libyan security forces, to combat smuggling, human trafficking and drug trafficking.

The Libyan minister reaffirmed his commitment to intensify joint efforts to secure the Tunisian-Libyan-Algerian triangle, which stretches from Mechhed Salah to Nalut and Borj el Khadra. This region faces major challenges, including drug tr
afficking and the activities of international criminal organisations.

The two ministers visited the Ras Jedir border crossing, where they inspected security units on both sides and conducted a mock exercise for the passage of travellers and ambulances. They then held a working session to explore ways to improve the operation of the crossing and identify possible solutions to facilitate the movement of people and goods and to promote cooperation for further development and prosperity.
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse