馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
Four Tunisians from Soumoud caravan released in Libya
via Business News1 min read
Mostafa Abdelkebir, president of the Tunisian Observatory for Human Rights OTDH, announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, the release of four Tunisians who were part of the "Soumoud" caravan. In a Facebook post, Abdelkebir stated that two of the individuals had been detained for over a month by authorities in eastern Libya. He did not provide further details regarding their identities, the circumstances of their arrest, or the conditions of their release. This announcement follows a period with several cases involving Tunisian nationals in Libya. Last week, Abdelkebir reported that about a dozen Tunisians, including workers and travelers, were arrested in the Zaou茂a region. He suggested these arrests might be connected to a case involving three Libyan nationals sought by Tunisian justice. The OTDH president had previously condemned the situation as unacceptable, arguing that the arrested Tunisians were not involved in the judicial proceedings and should not be used as "bargaining chips." He urged Libyan authorities to release them immediately and advocated for disputes between the two countries to be handled solely through judicial cooperation mechanisms.
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The Union of Private Pharmacists of Tunisia Spot announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, that private pharmacies may stop accepting prescriptions covered by the National Health Insurance Fund Cnam starting July 1, if Cnam does not meet its payment commitments by the end of June. The union stated that the sector is in a "critical" professional situation, citing unpaid debts from Cnam that have made it difficult for pharmacies to supply citizens with medicines. An agreement, reached with the intervention of the Presidency of the Republic and involving the Ministers of Health and Social Affairs, aimed to clear Cnam's debts over six months, ending June 30, 2026. However, Spot claims Cnam has not honored these commitments, further burdening pharmacies already facing significant tax deadlines. Consequently, pharmacists will be forced to stop accepting Cnam-insured prescriptions from July 1, 2026, if payments are not made. The union also condemned alleged "harassment" by some municipalities regarding the removal of pharmacy signs, citing administrative circulars deemed contrary to law. They reported verbal assaults and forced entry into a pharmacy, which were brought to the attention of the President of the Republic. In response, the union plans a "national day of anger," including turning off pharmacy lights, and may pursue further protests. Additionally, Spot called for the relaunch of the Central Pharmacy's digitization project to enhance transparency and ensure equitable medicine
Must ReadOn Wednesday, June 24, 2026, several political detainees in Tunisia issued a joint letter urging democrats and civil society organizations to unite to "restore freedom and democracy" in the country. The signatories, representing various political and ideological backgrounds, believe Tunisia is at a "delicate stage in its history." They contend that measures taken on July 25, 2021, nullified the achievements of the 2010-2011 revolution and the democratic transition, specifically citing the loss of constitutional supremacy, the rule of law, separation of powers, judicial independence, public liberties, media pluralism, freedom of expression on social media, free elections supervised by an independent body, and elected institutions. The letter's authors assert that Tunisia has reverted to an "absolute personal power regime" and emphasize that restoring democratic gains is now the common priority for all democrats. They advocate for setting aside political and ideological differences until democracy and liberties are re-established. They suggest that disagreements on secondary issues or fundamental reforms can be resolved later through national dialogue and then decided by elections. The signatories, including Ahmed N茅jib Chebbi, Ayachi Hammami, Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, Rached Ghannouchi, Issam Chebbi, Abdelhamid Jelassi, Ridha Belhaj, Zied El Heni, Cha茂ma Issa, Ghazi Chaouachi, and Khayem Turki, appeal to their "democratic friends" and civil society organizations to work together to
Tunisian olive oil exports saw a substantial increase during the first seven months of the 2025-2026 campaign November 2025 to May 2026, according to data from the National Observatory of Agriculture Onagri. Exported quantities reached 327.4 thousand tons, a 57.9% rise from 207.3 thousand tons in the same period of the previous campaign. Export revenues also grew by 44.9%, totaling 4,058.5 million dinars, up from 2,801.2 million dinars a year prior. Despite this growth in volume, packaged olive oil accounted for only 12.9% of total exports, a slight decrease from 13% in the previous campaign, indicating near stagnation. Conversely, 87.1% of exports were in bulk, and only 17.2% of export revenues came from packaged oil. Extra virgin olive oil dominated Tunisian exports, making up 83.3% of the total volume shipped internationally. The average price of olive oil decreased by 2% in May 2026 compared to the same period last year, from 13.23 dinars to 12.96 dinars per kilogram. The European Union remains the primary destination for Tunisian olive oil, absorbing 57.8% of exported volumes, followed by North America 22.8%, Asia 11.5%, and Africa 4.2%. Spain led country-specific imports with 33.6% of exported quantities, ahead of Italy 19.5% and the United States 18.3%. Organic olive oil exports reached 44.5 thousand tons, valued at 583.4 million dinars, with packaged organic oil representing only 5.5% of these volumes. The average price for organic olive oil was 13.10 dinars per kilog