Surf Arab States

Arab States Weekly Review 19th – 25th Nov 2011

Protests erupted in Egypt calling for the Supreme Council of Armed Forces to step down and hand over rule to civilians. Around 40 people were killed in the protests by security forces. The military council said parliamentary elections would go ahead as planned on November 28th, and that presidential elections would be held by July.

A report by the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry said the authorities had used ‘excessive force’ in a crackdown earlier this year against mostly Shia pro-democracy protesters.

Saif Al-Islam Qaddafi was caught in southern Libya, as was Muammar Qaddafi’s security chief Abdullah al-Senussi. Both are wanted by the International Criminal Court.

Yemen’s president Ali Abdullah Saleh signed an agreement brokered by the GCC, saying he would stand down and hand power to his vice-president.