Tunisia Parties Announce National Conference to ‘Salvage’ the Country

Tunisians demonstrate in front of the Court of First Instance, demanding the release of those arrested during recent demonstrations in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 February 2021. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA
Tunisians demonstrate in front of the Court of First Instance, demanding the release of those arrested during recent demonstrations in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 February 2021. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA
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Tunisia Parties Announce National Conference to ‘Salvage’ the Country

Tunisians demonstrate in front of the Court of First Instance, demanding the release of those arrested during recent demonstrations in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 February 2021. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA
Tunisians demonstrate in front of the Court of First Instance, demanding the release of those arrested during recent demonstrations in Tunis, Tunisia, 17 February 2021. EPA/MOHAMED MESSARA

General coordinator of the Tunisian opposition’s Soumoud Coalition Hussam Al-Hami has revealed plans to hold a “popular national conference” by July as an attempt to “salvage” the country.

The conference would follow local and regional conferences, in addition to economic, political and social workshops in cooperation with national organizations, associations and parties.

Its purpose is to come out with practical recommendations to resolve Tunisia’s crises.

The revelation was made during a meeting held by representatives of parties, associations and organizations in Tunis on Wednesday to discuss preparations for the conference and to present their initial visions on it.

Hami told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper that the conference would bring together all civil society components for proposals on Tunisia’s main issues, and to find solutions to the economic, social and political crises in the country.

He hoped that parties working on reform programs for years would consider the conference as an “opportunity” to press for their demands.

The session was attended by partisans and politicians, mostly from the left-wing, in addition to deputies, syndicate figures and representatives of associations.

In a related matter, head of Ennahda Movement's Shura Council Abdelkarim Harouni called for Prime Minister Hisham Al-Mashishi to chair a political dialogue among parties and organizations to overcome the political deadlock caused by the dispute between the two heads of the executive authority.

For his part, Mashishi approved a cabinet reshuffle that includes 11 portfolios to hinder any potential coalition between the president and the Tunisian General Labor Union.

A constitutional crisis erupted when the president rejected this amendment.



Suspected US Airstrikes Kill at Least 1 in Yemen's Houthi-held Capital, Sanaa

A Houthi security officer inspects the debris of a destroyed building reportedly hit by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
A Houthi security officer inspects the debris of a destroyed building reportedly hit by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
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Suspected US Airstrikes Kill at Least 1 in Yemen's Houthi-held Capital, Sanaa

A Houthi security officer inspects the debris of a destroyed building reportedly hit by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo)
A Houthi security officer inspects the debris of a destroyed building reportedly hit by US airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Monday, April 7, 2025. (AP Photo)

An intense series of suspected US airstrikes hit sites across Yemen held by the Houthi group into Thursday morning, with at least one person reportedly being killed in the capital, Sanaa.

The strikes took place around multiple governorates in the country overnight, with the Houthis providing few details about the sites hit. The US military's Central Command has provided no specifics on targets as well in its campaign, which has been hitting sites in Yemen since March 15, The Associated Press reported.

The US military has been conducting strikes from the aircraft carriers the USS Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea and the USS Carl Vinson, now in the Arabian Sea. The US also has stationed stealth B-2 bombers in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, which likely also are being used in the strikes.