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Arab States Weekly Review April 28th – May 4th 2012

admin — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:11:49 +0000

At least 20 people were killed in protests in Cairo against Egypt’s military council. Many of those demonstrating were supporters of Hazem Abu Ismail, a Salafist who was barred from running in this month’s presidential election.

Human Rights Watch said that Syrian forces killed at least 95 civilians in the fortnight before a ceasefire came into effect on April 12th.

Arab States Weekly Review April 21st – 27th 2012

admin — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 11:53:46 +0000

Ahead of elections scheduled for June, authorities in Libya banned all political parties based on religious, ethnic or tribal allegiance, for the aim of preserving ‘national unity’.

A ceasefire plan drafted by Kofi Annan seemed to be holding up in Syria. According to rebels and activists, dozens still die daily at the hands of government forces.

Arab States Weekly Review April 14th – 20th 2012

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 03:27:16 +0000

Egypt’s election committee disqualified ten candidates from running in the planned presidential elections, including Omar Suleiman (Mubarak’s spy chief), Muslim Brotherhood leader Khairat al-Shater, and an ultra conservative, Hazem Abu Ismail.

Syrian forces attacked residential areas across the country, disregarding the arrival of UN peace monitors. UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon requested the UN increase its number of observers to 300.

Arab States Weekly Review April 7th – 13th 2012

admin — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:14:12 +0000

Omar Suleiman, the vice president under Hosni Mubarak and long-time head of the intelligence agency, announced his candidacy for the presidency of Egypt.

Syrian troops opened fire on refugees crossing the border into Turkey, killing at least two people. The act provoked a protest from Turkey. An estimated 24,000 Syrian refugees have crossed into Turkey to escape the turmoil in their country. A ceasefire brokered by Kofi Annan started on April 12th but is not expected to hold long.

Arab States Weekly Review Mar 31 – Apr 6th 2012

admin — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 19:26:02 +0000

Government air raids in Yemen killed about 40 Al-Qaeda militants in the south, days after they attacked an army base which left 30 dead.

Syria agreed to an April 10th deadline to start implementing a peace plan drafted by the UN-Arab League, but it still insists it will not pull its troops out of cities until opposition forces disarm.

Arab States Weekly Review March 24th – 30th 2012

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 06:43:40 +0000

Syria’s government agreed to accept the peace plan put forward by Kofi Annan, the envoy for the UN and the Arab League, his spokesman said. The Syrian opposition also appeared to accept the plan.

Arab States Weekly Review March 17th – 23rd 2012

admin — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 09:58:25 +0000

Around 30 separate bombs were set off across Iraq on a single day, leaving over 50 people dead. The attack was described by some as an attempt to block the holding of an Arab League summit in Baghdad on March 29th.

Three bombs struck security targets in Damascus and Aleppo (Syria), killing 30 people.

Hana Shalabi, a Palestinian activist detained without charge by Israel, was said by a medical rights group to be facing “immediate risk of death” after more than 30 days of hunger strike.

Arab States Weekly Review March 10th – 16th 2012

admin — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:34:44 +0000

Israeli and Palestinian factions in Gaza agreed to a truce brokered by Egypt, after a four-day burst of fighting which left at least 25 Gazans dead. The violence was the worst in over two years, sparked by an Israeli air strike against a Palestinian guerilla leader.

Syrian government troops regained control of the northern city Idlib, which was previously in rebel hands. The UN raised its estimate of those killed in the unrests to 8,000.

Arab States Weekly Review March 3rd – 9th 2012

admin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 20:39:44 +0000

Hamas, the Palestinian group which governs the Gaza Strip, suggested it would not support Iran in a conflict with Israel.

Syria’s deputy oil minister resigned and joined the side of the rebel opposition. Abdo Hussameldin is the most senior figure to leave Bashar Assad’s regime. More than 8,000 people have died in the violence since the uprising began.

Militants linked to Al-Qaeda in Yemen have killed more than 100 people in clashes in southern Yemen.

Arab States Weekly Review Feb 25th – March 2nd 2012

admin — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 10:18:44 +0000

Following public pressure, Egypt brought forward presidential elections to May 23rd and 24th. Run-offs are scheduled for mid-June, with final results expected to be known June 21st.

Egypt lifted a travel ban on pro-democracy activists, including 16 Americans, who stood accused of receiving illegal funding from foreign governments. The case severely strained relations between Egypt and the United States.

The Syrian army launched a ground assault on the Baba Amr district in Homs, one of the rebel strongholds. Meanwhile, Syrians voted in a referendum on a new consitution proposed by President Assad. Widely dismissed by opposition, mostly supporters of the regime turned up to vote.