Couscous and "keskes" in Tuareg. The origin of couscous appears to be in the region from eastern to northern Africa where Berbers used it as early as the 7th century. Recognized as a traditional North African delicacy, it is a common cuisine component among Maghreb countries. Ibn Battuta (b. Morocco, 1304-1368? AD) stated in his "Rihlah" (Travels), indicating what may be the earliest mention of couscous (kuskusu) in West Africa from the early 1350s: Couscous was traditionally made from the hard part of the durum, the part of the grain that resisted the grinding of the millstone. The semolina is sprinkled
Couscous connection was found guilty "in absentia" and sentenced to ten years imprisonment. As part of the same case 23 other gang members, mostly Tunisian, were sentenced to various punishments. On 1 December 1992 Ben Ali's French lawyer met his client in Tunis. The lawyer gave a press conference in which he claimed there was no evidence that Ben Ali deserved the sentence. He said the conviction was due to political manipulation. He blamed Islamic fundamentalists for concocting the charges in an effort to blacken the family name. Mezri Haddad signed an article in "Libération" in 1992 about the "Couscous connection". According