The current wave of revolution and uprising in North African and Middle East continues unabated. Below are the latest developments of unrests from across North Africa.
Friday developments: March 4, 2011
LIBYA
At least 15 people were killed and at least 200 wounded Friday in the Libyan city of Zawiya, a witness said. State-run Libyan TV reported that forces supporting Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi had re-taken the city, which had been under the control of Gadhafi opponents.
Meanwhile, demonstrators and security forces clashed in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on Friday in the latest of several confrontations that have convulsed the country and triggered an exodus of refugees. The clashes happened after weekly prayers in or close to the center of the city, two sources said, and there were indications that some force was used against demonstrators.
The eastern Libyan town of al-Brega was calm early Friday, witnesses said, a day after forces loyal to Gadhafi launched airstrikes on the oil port in an effort to reclaim it from the opposition.
Two U.S. military aircraft plan to fly to Tunisia Friday to deliver 4,000 blankets, 40 rolls of sheeting and 9,600 water cans Friday to help refugees who have fled the unrest in Libya. Nearly 180,000 people, mainly foreign workers, have fled to the neighboring nations of Tunisia and Egypt, the U.N. refugee agency reported Thursday.
Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez has said Gadhafi is receptive to the idea of an international commission coming to the country.
Roots of unrest:
Protests in Libya started in February when demonstrators, fed up with delays, broke into a housing project the government was building and occupied it. Gadhafi’s government, which has ruled since a 1969 coup, responded with a $24 billion fund for housing and development. A month later, more demonstrations were sparked when police detained relatives of those killed in an alleged 1996 massacre at the Abu Salim prison, according to Human Rights Watch. High unemployment and demands for freedom have also fueled the protests.
EGYPT
Egypt’s new prime minister, Essam Sharaf, appeared before thousands of protesters at Cairo’s Tahrir Square on Friday, telling them he is “of the people” and would resign if he failed to meet their demands.
Sharaf, Egypt’s former transportation minister, was sworn in Friday after the resignation of Ahmed Shafik, the last prime minister appointed by Hosni Mubarak.
On Thursday, Ayman al-Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s No. 2 man, called for Egypt to establish an Islamic state in the aftermath of last month’s revolution.
Mubarak resigned February 11 after 18 days of protest against his rule. The former Egyptian ruler, who is still believed to be at his residence in Sharm el-Sheikh, will be brought to Cairo next week for questioning in a corruption case, the Prosecutor General’s office said Thursday.
Roots of unrest:
Complaints about police corruption and abuses were among the top grievances of demonstrators who forced President Hosni Mubarak from office. Demonstrators also were angry about Mubarak’s 30-year rule, a lack of free elections and economic issues, such as high food prices, low wages and high unemployment. Since Mubarak’s departure, several thousand people have protested in Cairo’s Tahrir Square to urge Egypt’s new rulers to implement promised reforms. They pressed Egypt’s Supreme Council to end an emergency law and release political prisoners, among other things. They also demanded civilian representation in government.
TUNISIA
At least three Tunisian government officials resigned Monday and Tuesday, the country’s official news agency reported, in the wake of the resignation of the prime minister on Sunday.
The minister of higher education and scientific research, Ahmad Ibrahim, and the higher education secretary, Faouzia Farida Charfi, both quit on Tuesday, Tunis Afrique Presse reported. Mohamed Nouri Jouini, the planning and international cooperation minister, resigned on Monday, the agency said.
Former Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi’s resignation Sunday came a day after three people were killed during protests in the capital, Tunis.
Roots of unrest:
The revolt was triggered when an unemployed college graduate set himself ablaze after police confiscated his fruit cart, cutting off his source of income. Protesters complained about high unemployment, corruption, rising prices and political repression.
An interim government came to power after an uprising prompted autocratic President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to leave the country on January 14. Those demonstrations sparked protests around North Africa and the Middle East.
MAURITANIA
Protesters returned to Blocat Square in the capital, Nouakchott, on Saturday, February 26, hours after police chased demonstrators from the square. One person was arrested during that melee. But young people returned by evening, promising to continue the protests over the next several days. The call to action started on Facebook, which is said to be very popular in Mauritania, sources tell CNN. Protesters are calling for job creation, economic and political changes and an end to corruption.
Roots of unrest:
In January, a man set himself on fire in front of Mauritania’s presidential palace, according to news reports — a self-immolation in the same spirit as others in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and elsewhere. There have been two bloodless coups since 2005 in the country, which borders Algeria and Mali, with ex-Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz serving as president since 2009.
ALGERIA
Algeria lifted its 19-year-old state of emergency on February 22, according to the National Algerian Press Agency. The action lifts restrictions on freedom of speech and assembly imposed to combat an Islamist insurgency. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced last month that he would lift the emergency declaration, first imposed in 1992 and indefinitely renewed in 1993.
Roots of unrest:
Protests began in January over escalating food prices, high unemployment and housing issues. They started in Algiers but spread to other cities as more people joined and demonstrators toppled regimes in Tunisia and, later, Egypt. Analysts called Bouteflika’s announcement about lifting the state of emergency law an attempt to head off a similar revolt.
DJIBOUTI
Thousands of people have marched in protest through Djibouti. On February 18, riot police charged the crowd after the call to evening prayers, shooting canisters of tear gas at the demonstrators, according to Aly Verjee, director of the international election observation mission to Djibouti, who witnessed the event. Djibouti is home to Camp Lemonnier, the only U.S. military base on the African continent.
Roots of unrest:
Protesters have called for President Ismail Omar Guelleh — whose family has ruled the country since its independence from France in 1977 — to step down ahead of elections scheduled in April. Guelleh has held the post since 1999 and is seeking a third term. Economic stagnation is also a source of anger among the people.
SUDAN
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has decided not to run for another term in 2015, a senior member of Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party said. Al-Bashir has ruled since a military coup in 1989. He won another five-year term in a 2010 vote that opposition parties boycotted over complaints of fraud. He also faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in the region of Darfur.
Demonstrators have clashed with authorities on recent occasions in Sudan. Human Rights Watch has said that “authorities used excessive force during largely peaceful protests on January 30 and 31 in Khartoum and other northern cities.” Witnesses said several people were arrested, including 20 who remain missing.
Roots of unrest:
Demonstrators seek an end to National Congress Party rule and government-imposed price increases, according to Human Rights Watch. It accuses the government of being heavy-handed in its response to demonstrations, and using pipes, sticks and tear gas to disperse protesters.
MOROCCO
Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across Morocco to call for political reform. Labor unions, youth organizations and human rights groups demonstrated in at least six cities on Sunday. Police stayed away from the demonstrations, most of which were peaceful, Human Rights Watch reported.
Roots of unrest:
Protesters in Morocco are calling for political reform. Government officials say such protests are not unusual and that the protesters’ demands are on the agenda of most political parties.
Recent developments from THE UNITED NATIONS:
The U.N. refugee agency reported Tuesday that nearly 180,000 people have crossed over from Libya into Tunisia and Egypt and warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Saturday to punish Gadhafi’s regime with sanctions for violence against unarmed civilians. In an emergency session, the 15-member council also referred the strongman to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for an effective solution to end the violence against anti-government protesters and a Libyan envoy tearfully asked the Security Council to step in.
Roots of unrest:
The Palestinian territories have not seen the kind of demonstrations as in many Arab countries, but the Fatah leaders of the Palestinian Authority have been under criticism since Al-Jazeera published secret papers claiming to reveal that Palestinian officials were prepared to make wide-ranging concessions in negotiations with Israel. Negotiations toward a resolution of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict have since collapsed. Palestinian protests, largely in support of Egypt and Tunisia, were generally small and poorly attended. In some cases the Hamas rulers of Gaza and the Palestinian Authority rulers of the West Bank actively tried to stifle protests. The split between Hamas and Fatah hampers internal change in the territories, although calls for political change are growing louder. Large-scale protests have failed to materialize as many Palestinians believe Israel remains their biggest problem.
(Excerpt Unrest in the Middle East and Africa — country by country)
