Tunisia Awaits European Funds to Develop Energy Sector, Curb Migration

The Italy-Africa summit with the participation of many officials (Tunisian presidency)
The Italy-Africa summit with the participation of many officials (Tunisian presidency)
TT
20

Tunisia Awaits European Funds to Develop Energy Sector, Curb Migration

The Italy-Africa summit with the participation of many officials (Tunisian presidency)
The Italy-Africa summit with the participation of many officials (Tunisian presidency)

– Tunisian President Kais Saied participated in the Italy-Africa summit in Rome, held under the "Mattei Plan for Africa," in the presence of 27 heads of state and government.

The summit comes amid disagreements over illegal migration and the demand of the South countries for financial aid to provide employment opportunities to curb the phenomenon from growing.

Top officials on both sides of the Mediterranean want to benefit from this international gathering to achieve the development goals in energy in the long and medium term. They also seek to launch a new phase of cooperation.

The summit considers issues affecting Africa and Europe, including climate change, food security, irregular migration, and clean energy.

Several observers believe the summit aims to secure the European Union's energy supplies and accelerate development in African countries. They also think it seeks to slow down migration flows toward Europe.

However, many do not believe the summit will result in immediate decisions due to the conflict of interests between the two parties.

It may also apply to a large extent to Tunisia following the signing of a strategic partnership agreement between Tunisia and Europe.

Italy, which leads the list of European negotiators, is seeking to curb the flow of migrants to its coasts and is brandishing a crucial financial aid package to achieve this goal. Still, Rome seeks to ensure the flow of energy after the shock that the markets experienced as a result of the outbreak of Russia's war on Ukraine.

Saied stressed the importance of energy development, highlighting Tunisia's keenness to provide a sound and appropriate investment climate to encourage businessmen to establish partnerships and exchange relations with their Tunisian counterparts in promising sectors such as renewable energy, water desalination, health, and pharmaceuticals.

Tunisian energy expert Ghazi bin Jami said Tunis plans to enhance work on investment in renewable energy in the coming years, explaining that the national energy plan aims to reduce the country's dependence on gas production.

Bin Jami told Tunisian News Agency (TAP) highlighting the importance of overcoming the structural challenges by working to produce alternative energies, such as solar and wind energy.

The ELMED Interconnector Project between Tunisia and Italy is a planned bi-directional power exchange link among the most critical projects.

Italian electricity transmission system operator Terna and Tunisian state-owned electricity and gas utility company STEG will develop the project.

However, Tunisian authorities hope this summit would go beyond investing in energy to demanding a radical treatment of illegal migration from the coast of Tunisia towards Italy.

Last July, Rome hosted a conference that resulted in a preliminary agreement to confront the influx of the growing number of migrants to Europe.

The meeting agreed to provide the necessary funding for aiding countries of origin and transit for asylum.

The conference was held with the participation of 20 countries to reduce irregular migration and build partnerships in agriculture, infrastructure, and health sectors.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni promised to hold a donors conference on undocumented migration.

Saied said that the issue of such migration cannot be solved through unilateral movements, describing it as a "form of modern slavery."

Seven months ago, Tunisia and the EU signed a "strategic partnership" deal that includes combatting human traffickers and tightening borders during a sharp increase in boats leaving the North African nation for Europe.

Europe also pledged to provide aid worth $1.1 billion to support the Tunisian economy.

The Italian authorities say that about 80,000 people crossed the Mediterranean and reached the coast of Italy during the first half of last year, compared to 33,000 during the same period in 2022, most of whom set off from the Tunisian coast.



Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
TT
20

Suspected US Airstrikes in Yemen Kill at Least 4 People Near Hodeidah

A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah
A man holds a rifle as protesters, mainly Houthi supporters, rally to mark the annual al-Quds Day (Jerusalem Day) on the last Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Sanaa, Yemen March 28, 2025. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah

Suspected US airstrikes battered Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Wednesday, with the militias saying that one strike killed at least four people near the Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

The intense campaign of airstrikes in Yemen under US President Donald Trump, targeting the militias over their attacks on shipping in Mideast waters stemming from the Israel-Hamas war, has killed at least 65 people, according to casualty figures released by the Houthis.

The campaign appears to show no signs of stopping as the Trump administration again linked their airstrikes on the Iranian-backed Houthis to an effort to pressure Iran over its rapidly advancing nuclear program. While so far giving no specifics about the campaign and its targets, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt put the overall number of strikes on Tuesday at more than 200.

“Iran is incredibly weakened as a result of these attacks, and we have seen they have taken out Houthi leaders,” Leavitt said. “They’ve taken out critical members who were launching strikes on naval ships and on commercial vessels and this operation will not stop until the freedom of navigation in this region is restored.”

Overnight, a likely US airstrike targeted what the Houthis described as a “water project” in Hodeidah governorate's Mansuriyah District, killing four people and wounding others. Other strikes into Wednesday targeted Hajjah, Saada and Sanaa governorates, the militias said.