US Defence Secretary Mark Esper warned of the global threat of terrorism and accused China and Russia of trying to undermine African countries, on the first day of his trip to Maghreb countries on Wednesday.
Speaking at a cemetery in Carthage, Tunisia, where the remains of more than 2,800 American soldiers mostly from the Second World War are buried, he warned of the worldwide threat posed by "violent extremists".
Mr Esper also accused US rivals China and Russia of continuing "to intimidate and coerce their neighbours while expanding their authoritarian influence worldwide, including on this continent."
He said Moscow and Beijing's behaviour aimed to "undermine African institutions".
Mr Esper signed a 10-year military partnership with Tunis and praised the two nations’ work in addressing the conflict in neighbouring Libya.
There has been growing co-operation between the Pentagon and Tunisia in the past decade, particularly in counter-terrorism training and securing the long border with war-torn Libya.
"We look forward to expanding this relationship to help Tunisia protect its maritime ports and land borders, deter terrorism and keep the corrosive efforts of autocratic regimes out of your country," Mr Esper said after meeting President Kais Saied.
Washington in 2015 classified Tunisia as a major non-Nato ally, allowing for military co-operation.
The two sides regularly hold joint exercises, and since 2011 Washington has invested more than $1 billion in the Tunisian military, says the US Africa Command, or Africom.
The deal signed on Wednesday, full details of which have not been disclosed, covers training and after-sales service of sophisticated American weapons, US officials said.
Tunisia in 2016 denied a report in The Washington Post that it had allowed the US to operate drones from its territory for missions in Libya against ISIS.
But a court martial in 2017 in a case of sexual harassment by an American officer publicly confirmed the presence of an American squadron operating drones from within a Tunisian base in the northern region of Bizerte.
The US has "regained interest" in long-time allies Tunisia and Morocco, Tunisian analyst Youssef Cherif said.
Mr Cherif said much of it was caused by the growing influence of extremist groups in Libya and the Sahel region since the fall of former Libyan dictator, Muammar Qaddafi.
"But Tunisia does not seem to have given its approval to use its airspace and its territory to conduct attacks," he told AFP.
In May, the head of Africom said the US would send more troops to Tunisia because of the deteriorating situation in Libya, sparking an outcry in the country.
Africom later explained it would be posting only "a small training unit" that would not engage in combat, and the Tunisian government said there were no plans for an US base.
Mr Esper also met Tunisian Defence Minister Ibrahim Bartagi and gave him a replica of a pistol belonging to George Washington, the military leader who became the first president of the US.
The two spoke of Tunisia's role in Mali, a country hit by terrorist attacks, and where Tunis has sent troops to take part in a 13,000-strong UN peacekeeping force.
Mr Esper was set to visit neighbouring Algeria on Thursday, becoming the first US defence secretary to do so since Donald Rumsfeld in 2006.
He will then head to Morocco, the other US major non-Nato ally in the region.
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Results
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more from Janine di Giovanni
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
SNAPSHOT
While Huawei did launch the first smartphone with a 50MP image sensor in its P40 series in 2020, Oppo in 2014 introduced the Find 7, which was capable of taking 50MP images: this was done using a combination of a 13MP sensor and software that resulted in shots seemingly taken from a 50MP camera.
'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
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Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Manchester City (0) v Liverpool (3)
Uefa Champions League, quarter-final, second leg
Where: Etihad Stadium
When: Tuesday, 10.45pm
Live on beIN Sports HD
Match info
Uefa Nations League A Group 4
England 2 (Lingard 78', Kane 85')
Croatia 1 (Kramaric 57')
Man of the match: Harry Kane (England)
Previous men's records
- 2:01:39: Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) on 16/9/19 in Berlin
- 2:02:57: Dennis Kimetto (KEN) on 28/09/2014 in Berlin
- 2:03:23: Wilson Kipsang (KEN) on 29/09/2013 in Berlin
- 2:03:38: Patrick Makau (KEN) on 25/09/2011 in Berlin
- 2:03:59: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 28/09/2008 in Berlin
- 2:04:26: Haile Gebreselassie (ETH) on 30/09/2007 in Berlin
- 2:04:55: Paul Tergat (KEN) on 28/09/2003 in Berlin
- 2:05:38: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 14/04/2002 in London
- 2:05:42: Khalid Khannouchi (USA) 24/10/1999 in Chicago
- 2:06:05: Ronaldo da Costa (BRA) 20/09/1998 in Berlin
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now