Publications
Articles, publications, books, tools and multimedia features from the U.S. Institute of Peace provide the latest news, analysis, research findings, practitioner guides and reports, all related to the conflict zones and issues that are at the center of the Institute’s work to prevent and reduce violent conflict.
Eye on the Middle East and North Africa
Experts from the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) are closely following developments throughout the Middle East and North Africa. In a series of reports and interviews, they cover a wide range of issues.
Transitional Justice in Egypt and Tunisia
Amid the upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa, USIP’s Scott Worden discusses transitional justice in Egypt and Tunisia.
Justice and Security in the Middle East and North Africa
USIP’s Colette Rausch discusses the challenges to justice and security in countries undergoing transformations amid recent protests in the Middle East and North Africa.
Social Media in the Middle East
USIP's Sheldon Himelfarb talks about the role of social media in the recent uprisings in the Middle East.
Impact of Arab Uprisings
USIP’s Mona Yacoubian explores the impact of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt on the rest of the Arab world. This "On the Issues" is based on Mona Yacoubian’s remarks at the April 15th annual conference of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy.
Arab Uprisings: Lessons from Africa
Senior Fellow Michael Bratton compares political transitions in Sub-Saharan African to the current uprisings and demonstrations calling for political change in the Middle East and North Africa.
Obama's State of the Union Address: A World Wrap-Up
President Obama heralded progress in Iraq, asked Americans to brace for hard days ahead in Afghanistan, and touted seminal moments in Tunisia and Sudan in a State of the Union speech on Jan. 25. The president largely focused on the economy and jobs in this year's address, while covering the major international developments in the last ten minutes or so of his hour-long speech, beginning with Iraq.
Tunisia Timeline: Since the Jasmine Revolution
Protests in Tunisia ignited the Arab Spring in late 2010. The transition has witnessed the evolution of the most hopeful young democracy in the Middle East. But it is still fraught with economic, political and security challenges.
Amid North Africa’s Turmoil, Tunisia’s Steady Transition Moves Forward
From Algeria to Libya to Sudan, North Africa has been roiled by protests and fighting in recent months not seen since the 2011 Arab uprisings. Those uprisings were sparked in Tunisia, which has continued a steady, if uneven, democratic transition in the years since. Despite the challenges posed by this regional turmoil, the small Mediterranean nation must continue to focus on domestic problems, said Tunisia’s defense minister, Abdelkarim Zbidi, this week at the U.S. Institute of Peace. What happens in Tunisia in the years to come will be important for the entire region.
What’s Next for Tunisia’s Transition?
Long heralded as the sole success story of the Arab uprisings, Tunisia was thrown into political tumult on July 25 when President Kais Saied dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament and removed politicians’ immunity from criminal prosecution. The decision followed days of protest and long-term malaise, with Tunisians angered over the government’s COVID response, endemic corruption, a lagging economy and, more broadly, the inability of the post-Ben Ali political system — particularly political parties — to deliver for citizens. While many Tunisians supported Saied’s move, they and the international community await what comes next and how it will impact the North African country’s long-term political and economic trajectory.