Domestic Politics

Lebanon has a new prime minister-designate tasked with forming a government. Najib Mikati, who is a business tycoon, has started consultations with the country's political forces ahead of forming a new government.

The crisis began late on Sunday when president Saïed invoked the constitution to dismiss the prime minister, Hichem Mechichi, suspend parliament for 30 days, and remove immunity from members of parliament, saying he would govern alongside a new premier.

Tunisia is in deep political crisis after the president dismissed the prime minister and suspended parliament in a move his opponents are describing as a coup. President Kais Saied said he would assume executive authority with the assistance of a new prime minister, in the biggest challenge yet to the democratic system Tunisia introduced following the 2011 revolution. The crisis also poses a challenge to the European Union which has previously strongly backed Tunisia's transition to democracy and its reform process.

Thousands of Ethiopians gathered at Meskel Square in Addis Ababa as the government announced the completion of the second filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD). While Egypt is relieved by the quick ending of the filling, joined by Sudan, it still calls to reach a final trilateral agreement with Ethiopia on the operation of the dam. 

Tunisia is witnessing a quickly deteriorating health situation as Covid-19 cases reach an all-time high with public hospitals struggling to cope. The Delta variant is to blame along with poor vaccination performance.  With only 7 per cent of the country’s population fully vaccinated, the virus exasperates the already tense political and economic situation.  

Lebanon's prime minister-designate, Saad Hariri, has excused himself from forming a government after a nine-month deadlock. The international community, including the United Nations, expressed its disappointment as the country plunges deeper into crisis.