Morocco begins Christian exodus: papers

Moroccan authorities deported more than 40 foreign Christian aid workers this week in an ongoing, nationwide crackdown that included the expulsion of foster parents caring for 33 Moroccan orphans.

Deportations of foreign Christians continued at press time, with Moroccan authorities expressing their intention to deport specifically U.S. nationals. Sources in Morocco told Compass – a Christian advocacy publication – that the government gave the U.S. Embassy in Rabat a list of 40 citizens to be deported.

Algeria to host terror conference

Algeria is to host foreign ministers from the Sahara and Sahel on Tuesday for talks on fighting “a resurgence” in acts of terror, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Ministers from Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mauritania and Niger are due to take part in the conference, the ministry said in a statement quoted by Algerian news agency APS.

In addition to sharing notes on “the prevailing situation in the region, in particular the resurgence of terrorist acts”, the ministers are to look into “links to cross-border crime and smuggling of all kinds”.

Tunisia, Japan sign loan deal

The vibrant Tunisian-Japanese cooperation and the strong relations that tie both countries in many sectors, make of Japan one of the major financial partners of Tunisia.

In this regard, Tunisia and Japan signed a loan agreement amounting to 4, 596 million yen (65 million dinars), at a preferential rate related to the funding of the electrification project of the Tunis Borj -Cédria railway network.

Lebanon to get official invite to Libya summit

Lebanon is yet to receive an official invite to the Arab Summit that will be held in Libya at the end of this month. It has been confirmed that Lebanese President Michel Sleiman will not attend the summit. The Lebanese President previously told Asharq Al-Awsat that this subject is “problematic” and denied the option of taking part.

This was also confirmed yesterday by a ministerial source in Lebanon who said that the Lebanese President will not take part in the Arab Summit scheduled to take place in Libya against the backdrop of the suspicions surrounding Libya with regards to the disappearance of Imam Musa Sadr.

South Sudan leader begins campaign

Lam Akol, the sole challenger to south Sudan’s incumbent president Salva Kiir, launched his campaign in the region’s capital Saturday, promising an end to corruption if he wins April’s election.

“The (southern) government has failed,” said Akol speaking in a local Arabic dialect in the south’s capital Juba.

“Corruption has defeated people in the government. That is why it needs new people,” he told a small crowd.

BM

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