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Aouissaoui’s Brother to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Didn’t Know of His Plans

Brahim al-Aouissaoui. (Reuters)
Brahim al-Aouissaoui. (Reuters)
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Aouissaoui’s Brother to Asharq Al-Awsat: We Didn’t Know of His Plans

Brahim al-Aouissaoui. (Reuters)
Brahim al-Aouissaoui. (Reuters)

The family of the Tunisian perpetrator of the Nice church attack stressed on Friday that he had never showed signs of extremism.

They told Asharq Al-Awsat that they were in shock over the news that their son, Brahim al-Aouissaoui, was involved in the killing of three people at Notre Dame Basilica in Nice on Thursday.

Aouissaoui, 21, hails from the impoverished city of Kairouan. His family moved to Thina, a dowdy suburb of Sfax, where Aouissaoui was the main breadwinner as both of his parents are unemployed.

His parents and nine siblings had not seen him since September when he boarded a small boat for Lampedusa, the Italian island that is a main arrival point for immigrants to Europe.

In a telephone call to Asharq Al-Awsat, his brother Yassin said Brahim had lived a normal life and never showed any signs of extremism and had never criticized his social status despite the difficulties he was enduring.

The family is still in shock and has yet to fathom that Brahim had committed the Nice terrorist attack, he added.

The family had not even known that he had traveled secretly to Italy and had never even imagined his intentions, he continued.

Brahim, he stated, worked various jobs, including motorcycles mechanic and at an olive press, before departing onboard an illegal journey to Italy about a month ago. He had saved some 1,200 Tunisian dinars (around 435 dollars) to pay for the trip.

He then made his way to France and contacted his family, informing them that he was searching for a place to stay. He said he may stay near the church and those where the last words they head from him before receiving news of the attack. He has since been detained by the authorities.

Tunisia has for years battled an extremist security threat, though police have grown more effective. Terror attacks in Tunisia in recent years have mainly been carried out by people radicalized online rather than in mosques, diplomats say according to Reuters.

On Friday, the state news agency reported that authorities had approved an investigation into social media claims attributing the Nice attack to a previously unknown group called “The Mahdi Organization in Southern Tunisia”.

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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
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FAO Official: Gulf States Shielded Themselves from Major Shocks

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

David Laborde, Director of the Agrifood Economics Division at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), told Asharq al-Awsat that global hunger increased sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, noting that the GCC countries were able to shield themselves from major shocks affecting food security.
Laborde added that global hunger affected over 152 million people, with no improvement in the past two years.
Today, 733 million people suffer from chronic hunger, and 2.3 billion face food insecurity, according to the UN annual report on “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World.”

Laborde explained that the global economic crisis has worsened food insecurity, keeping hunger levels high.
Alongside this, climate shocks and conflicts are major causes of hunger. He also pointed out that food insecurity is closely tied to inequality, and the economic crisis, rising living costs, and high interest rates are deepening existing inequalities both within and between countries.
On whether economic diversification in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries is boosting food security, Laborde said: “A move towards a more diversified economy and enhancing the ability to rely on various sources of food supplies are key drivers of food security resilience and stability.”
“GCC countries have managed to shield themselves from major shocks, primarily due to their high income levels and ability to cover import costs without difficulty,” he explained.
Regarding the FAO’s outlook on reducing global hunger, Laborde insisted that ending hunger will require a significant increase in funding.
When asked for suggestions on how governments could enhance food security, Laborde said: “Despite global figures remaining stable, improvements are seen in Asia and Latin America, showing that the right policies and conditions can reduce numbers.”
“Hunger is not inevitable. Investing in social safety nets to protect the poor, along with making structural changes to food systems to be more environmentally friendly, resilient, and equitable, is the right path forward,” emphasized Laborde.
The annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, published on Wednesday, said about 733 million people faced hunger in 2023 – one in 11 people globally and one in five in Africa.
Hunger and food insecurity present critical challenges affecting millions globally.
The annual report, released this year during the G20 Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty Task Force ministerial meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is significantly lagging in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2—ending hunger by 2030.
It highlights that global progress has regressed by 15 years, with malnutrition levels comparable to those seen in 2008-2009.
Despite some progress in areas like stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, a troubling number of people still face food insecurity and malnutrition, with global hunger levels rising.