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Habib Bourguiba's mausoleum in Monastir
Image: Norbert Rzepka/picture allianceImage: Norbert Rzepka/picture alliance

Tunisia

Tunisia lies between Libya and Algeria and has a Mediterranean coastline along its north and east. It gained independence from France in 1956.

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All Content on this topic

A file image shows more than 20 people packed into a small boat in big waves on the Meditteranean Sea

EU: 11-year-old is only survivor from capsized migrant boat

The girl, rescued after three-days at sea, was one of 45 who set off from Tunisia. All others are feared dead.
MigrationDecember 11, 2024
Protesters hold signs saying "we need help" and "Tunisia is not safe" during a demonstration

Tunisia's anti-migrant measures spark human rights concerns

UN experts have accused Tunisia of grave human rights violations. Can it keep its status as a safe country for migrants?
PoliticsOctober 21, 2024
Piraten-Fischern auf der Spur - Der zähe Kampf gegen die Ausbeutung der Meere 12292

Illegal fishing: On the trail of the fishing pirates

One in five fish consumed worldwide is the product of illegal fishing.
SocietyOctober 11, 202442:34 min
Kais Saied waves to the crowd

Tunisia: President Kais Saied wins second term

Election officials said Saied won more than 90% of the vote after a campaign that saw his opponents jailed.
PoliticsOctober 7, 2024
The President of Tunisa Kais Saied receives at the Carthage Palace.

Tunisia: Sitting President Saied on course for election win

Tunisia's election turnout is low, as a faltering economy drives more young Tunisians to turn away from politics.
PoliticsOctober 7, 202402:09 min
A supporter of President Kais Saied holds up his image along the Habib Bourguiba Avenue in Tunis, Tunisia, on July 25, 2024

Tunisia: Saied eyes new term as presidential election ends

Three candidates ran for the presidency, including incumbent Kais Saied, while 14 others were either jailed or barred.
PoliticsOctober 6, 2024
Tunisians, carrying banners and flags, gather in front of the Assembly of People's Representatives to protest against an amendment to the electoral law

Tunisia court stripped of electoral power days before vote

The parliamentary decision strips a court of its power to rule on electoral disputes, nine days before Tunisians vote.
PoliticsSeptember 27, 2024
A young woman shouts into a megaphone in protest of Tunisian President Kais Saied's power grab.

Tunisia: Young people's anger mounts ahead of election

Young people are taking to Tunisia's streets ahead of the presidential poll to protest against an escalating crackdown.
PoliticsSeptember 21, 2024
Supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied hold a poster with his face

Tunisia: Opposition crackdown dominates election run-up

Observers warn Tunisia's upcoming election won't be democratic, and fear the country might return to authoritarian rule.
PoliticsSeptember 6, 2024
Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli airstrike on Zibqin in southern Lebanon

How Middle East authoritarians benefit from Gaza conflict

The conflict allows authoritarians to look good while they crack down on dissent and human rights organizations.
PoliticsAugust 28, 2024
DW REV Sendungslogo Composite

REV – The Auto & Mobility Show

Automakers woo Indian buyers. Solar-powered three-wheelers hit Tunis. Making film & TV car replicas
Cars and TransportationAugust 6, 202426:06 min
Moussi, seen here, leads the Free Constitutional Party and her party has previously organized protests against Saied's rule

Tunisia: Leading opposition figure Moussi sentenced to jail

Moussi has previously accused President Kais Saied, who is seeking reelection on October 6, of ruling outside the law.
PoliticsAugust 6, 2024
A man with sunglasses speaks up in a demonstration

Fear reigns in Tunisia as preelection repression intensifies

The authorities are taking tougher action against potential candidates ahead of the presidential election.
PoliticsJuly 14, 2024
Two female migrants at the shore between Libya and Tunisia

Migrants flock to Libya despite lack of law and order

Human traffickers, militias, mass graves — nothing seems to discourage migrants from coming to Libya.
PoliticsJuly 12, 2024
Turtles in Tunisia are transferred to their new home

Rehousing Tunisia's threatened freshwater turtles

Threatened turtles are dying in Tunisia's dried up Menzel Temim reservoir. Imed Kacem is fighting to save them.
Nature and EnvironmentJuly 9, 202402:26 min
Grenze zu Tunesien: Afrikanische Migranten an der Grenze ausgesetzt

Did the EU pay Tunisia to dump migrants in the desert?

EU paid Tunisia millions to block migrants. A Cameroonian migration expert explains the positive aspects of migration.
PoliticsJune 4, 202426:55 min
Thumbnail Explainer Mapped Out | The World’s deadliest border

How the EU compromised its values on migration

The European Union is struggling to deal with migration, and the consequences for migrants and refugees are dire.
MigrationJune 4, 202412:34 min
African migrants living under difficult conditions in olive forests in the town of Amra in the Tunisian city of Sfax

Tunisia: Thousands of migrants 'dumped' in the desert

Rights groups say the Tunisian authorities are conducting illegal "collective expulsions" of migrants, with EU funds.
PoliticsMay 25, 2024
Tunisian protestors gather and hold their phones and cameras in the air

Tunisia: Two journalists jailed for publishing 'false news'

Two Tunisian journalists were jailed for a year for using communications to "produce or spread false news."
CrimeMay 23, 2024
Smashed glass at the bar association building in Tunis, Tunisia on May 13

Tunisian bar association slams 'abuse of power' over arrests

Critics of President Kais Saied have accused him of cracking down on freedoms after a power grab in 2021.
Rule of LawMay 15, 2024
Olive farmer inspecting his trees in Tunisia

Tunisia’s olive farmers adapt to extreme weather

Tunisian olive farmers are switching to new irrigation techniques and organic farming methods.
Nature and EnvironmentApril 30, 202405:14 min
Two women in brightly colored safety vests, one holding a photo and the other a painting, both depicting migrants in boats at sea

Asylum-seekers: Is EU-Tunisia like UK-Rwanda?

While Tunisia is a trusted ally for curbing migration to Europe, rights observers don't consider it a "safe" place.
PoliticsApril 26, 2024
Tunisian political parties took the streets and demonstrate against Tunisian President Kais Said

Repression in Tunisia grows as election looms nearer

A new wave of repression is seen as a strong indicator for President Kais Saied's presidential campaign.
PoliticsMarch 29, 2024
A Tunisian protester lifts a placard demanding to know who assassinated prominent leftist opposition leader Chokri Belaid

Tunisia sentences 4 to death over politician's assassination

Chokri Belaid's death in 2013 sparked mass protests against Tunisia's then-ruling Islamists.
CrimeMarch 27, 2024
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo Composite)

Eco Africa — The Environment Magazine

Tunisian farmers irrigate with seawater. Traditional animal medicine in Ghana. Plus the delights of dried fish.
SocietyFebruary 29, 202426:06 min
An aerial photo shows parched land beneath a dock where water has dried up

Mediterranean region gripped by disastrous drought

The drought has Southern Europe and North Africa firmly in its grip. The situation could get even worse in spring.
ClimateFebruary 29, 20249 images
Moncef Marzouki speaking in 2019

Tunisia court sentences ex-president to 8 years in absentia

Moncef Marzouki was Tunisia's first democratically elected head of government after the Arab Spring in 2011.
PoliticsFebruary 24, 2024
REV Bako Motors Tunis

Solar vehicles shine in Tunisia

Bako Motors’ solar-powered three-wheelers are a hit in Tunis. The startup already plans to expand.
Cars and TransportationFebruary 13, 202402:03 min
Two fishermen in Tunisia inspect their traps.

Sustainable fishing with traditional charfia technique

Catching fish with palm leaves: Fascinating ancient charfia method shows promise as sustainable alternative.
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 29, 202404:04 min
DW Eco Africa (Sendungslogo mit Partnerlogos englisch)

Eco Africa - The Environment Magazine

How fishermen in Tunisia are sustainably luring fish with palm leaves, and how girls in rural Uganda are being empowered
Nature and EnvironmentJanuary 26, 202426:06 min
An Italian Coast Guard vessel rescuing migrants near the Italian island of Lampedusa in 2023

Is migration the EU's biggest challenge in 2024?

Few topics were as influential in shaping social discourse as migration in 2023, and the new year will be no different.
MigrationJanuary 2, 2024
Dokumentarfilm | Eine Reise am Mittelmeer - Tunesien

Mediterranean journey - Tunisia

Tunisia is considered a microcosm of the Mediterranean world.
SocietyDecember 17, 202326:06 min
A sub-Saharan migrant sweeps the street in Tunis, Tunisia on August 25, 2023, as a toddler in diapers looks on

Tunisia's 2024 election: What role will migration play?

What impact is the so-called EU migration deal having and how might it affect President Saied's chances of reelection?
PoliticsDecember 15, 2023
The Egyptian government gave permission for pro-Palestinian protests in late October.

How pro-Palestinian protests threaten Middle East autocrats

In some Middle Eastern countries, pro-Palestinian protests recall anti-government protests from 2011.
PoliticsNovember 11, 2023
Mahmoud, a people smuggler in Tunisia, uses his fingers to zoom into a map of the Mediterranean on his mobile phone.

Tunisia: Smugglers profiting from migration to Europe

As Germany grapples with increasing arrivals of migrants, people traffickers in Tunisia are busier than ever.
MigrationNovember 7, 202303:08 min
A masked Belgian police officer on the streets of Brussels walks and speaks into a two-way radio

Belgium charges suspect in connection with Brussels attack

Belgian prosecutors have said a Tunisian man aided a suspect who is said to have killed 2 Swedish soccer fans.
CrimeOctober 26, 2023
A teenage girl sits on a wall. In the background there are many houses.

Global Teen: Mariem from Tunisia

Meet Mariem, a teen in Tunisia who likes to read, write stories and draw.
SocietyOctober 10, 202302:30 min
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Colombian slum fights to change its image

Colombia's Siloé slum seeks to redefine itself. And, life on the front line of tensions between China and Taiwan.
SocietyOctober 10, 202326:06 min
In this October 2021 photo, the president of Tunisia's Free Destourian Party, Abir Moussi speaks to the media during a protest demanding the dissolution of parliament and asking for early legislative elections

Tunisia arrests opposition figure as crackdown escalates

Abir Moussi is the latest political figure detained or imprisoned under President Kais Saied's rule.
PoliticsOctober 4, 2023
A boat with migrants enters the Favaloro wharf at the port of the Sicilian island of Lampedusa.

Migration as a weapon: Is Tunisia blackmailing the EU?

Cooperation on irregular migration is proving difficult. Tunisia and Europe both have something to win and to lose.
PoliticsSeptember 20, 2023
A young Black man looks out to sea in Tunisia

Tunisia: New crossroads for sub-Saharan migration to Europe

Migration across the Mediterranean is rising, and the EU is focusing on Tunisia in its attempt to stem immigration.
MigrationSeptember 16, 202302:04 min
A boat with migrants is crossing the Mediterranean.

Tunisia: New hot spot for sub-Saharan migration to Europe

The Tunisian coastal city of Sfax is fast becoming the new departure hot spot for sub-Saharan migrant flows to Europe.
MigrationSeptember 5, 202303:13 min
Migrants rescued by members of the Spanish NGO Proactiva Open Arms

Mediterranean migrant deaths at highest in years

Nearly 2,000 people have died or gone missing trying to reach Europe this year. It's the highest number since 2017.
MigrationAugust 14, 202301:46 min
An image of the remains of a boat that capsized off the coast of Lampedusa in 2019

Italy: Migrant shipwreck off Lampedusa leaves 41 dead

More than 40 people have been killed after a migrant vessel sank, survivors of the shipwreck told Italian media.
MigrationAugust 9, 2023
DW "Global Us" Sendungslogo Composite

Transforming farming – and feeding the world sustainably

Are there ways to feed the world without destroying the planet? Global Us shows how.
Food SecurityAugust 4, 202326:06 min
Najla Bouden speaking in 2022

Tunisian President Saied sacks first female PM Najla Bouden

Najla Bouden was seen by critics as an ally of President Kais Saied.
PoliticsAugust 2, 2023
Sub-Saharan migrants trying to cross to Italy are intercepted and blocked by the Tunisian National Guard

More than 900 migrants drown off Tunisia's coast in 2023

The Tunisian coast guard recovered 901 bodies of drowned migrants off its coast from the start of the year.
Human RightsJuly 27, 2023
An injured migrant lying on a matress

EU-Tunisia migration deal: Encouraging the people smugglers?

Irregular migrants in Tunisia don't believe the new "strategic agreement" will stop them from trying to reach Europe.
PoliticsJuly 21, 2023
For years the EU has been unable to find common ground on how to distribute asylum seekers across the bloc.

EU migration policy remains unresolved

For years the EU has been unable to find common ground on how to distribute asylum seekers across the bloc.
Human RightsJuly 20, 202302:48 min
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Tunisian President Kais Saied and Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni (left to right) shake hands in Tunis

EU, Tunisia sign €1 billion deal to fight illegal migration

Leaders from the EU want a "strategic" pact with Tunisia to stem the flow of migration from North Africa to Europe.
PoliticsJuly 16, 2023