Algeria: Dozens Injured in Mass Student Protests
April 13th, 2011 by Alec
Several thousand students took to the streets of Algiers on Tuesday to protest “poor conditions in higher education and unpopular reforms.” Students were prevented from marching upon the presidential palace and dozens of students were injured during clashes with police.
Posted in Algeria, Protests | Comment »
Cook Argues Middle East Could Be a Nightmare in the Short Run
April 6th, 2011 by Kyle
Steven Cook, writing in the Atlantic, believes that the Arab spring could end on the “banks of the Nile” due to the “defenders of the status quo in the region.” Cook asserts that Muammar Gadhafi’s attacks on the Libyan people were the “ultimate counterrevolutionary step” and President Barack Obama was correct in stating the U.S. has a, “very practical interest in making sure that the changes that are sweeping through that region are occurring in a peaceful nonviolent fashion.” However, Cook argues that Tripoli is not the only center of counterrevolution and possibly not the most important; this title he reserves for Riyadh. Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s support for Bahrain’s ruling Sunni minority and potentially Yemen, Cook argues that Riyadh although not directly connected to all counterrevolutions across the region “offers implicit encouragement” to the status quo. Cook affirms that factions of revolutionaries may in the end take up arms and play into the hands of the counterrevolutionaries by perpetrating mass violence. In closing, Cook alleges that the growth of potential democratic players in the region could create an existential crisis that in the short term could lead to a “divided, contested, and destabilized region.”
Posted in Algeria, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen | Comment »
Analysts Discuss Possibility of Protests in Algeria and Morocco
April 4th, 2011 by Naureen
Writing in Foreign Affairs, Azzedine Layachi discusses how Algeria and Morocco differ from their North African counterparts and notes the possibility of protests resurfacing in the two countries. Layachi states that unlike Libya under Muammar Gadhafi and Tunisia under Zine Ben Ali, Algeria and Morocco’s political leaders have, in the past, enacted important economic and political reforms that opened the system, while preventing any shift in the nature of their regimes. He notes, however, the stark difference in the nature of current protests in Algeria in Morocco from those which took place in Egypt, Tunisia, and Libya noting, in particular the difference in government response as the Algerian government lifted the 19-year-old state of emergency while King Mohammed VI announced planned constitutional reforms. He states, however, that power in both these countries are held by “important, and virtually unaccountable, behind-the-scenes players” and until they are discarded it is unlikely that protesters will be appeased. Layachi also notes that the future of protest movements will likely depend on the success or failure of Libyan rebels to oust Gadhafi.
Writing in Foreign Policy, Lachen Achy discusses why protests in Algeria failed to gain momentum by pointing to the government’s ability to quiet protests via economic incentives, the lack of a common set of grievances among the Algerian public, constraints of regulations that restrict right to demonstrate, and the strong security apparatus which integrated into the country’s political sphere. He also notes the fear of the populace that protests may lead to another civil war.
Posted in Algeria, Egypt, Freedom, Islamist movements, Libya, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »
Algeria: Saturday Demonstration Thwarted
March 27th, 2011 by Alec
A few dozen protesters tried to march in the Algerian capital, Algiers, on Saturday. The demonstrators were met by hundreds of police officers who blocked the group from marching from May 1 Square to Martyr’s Square. The group included Ali Yahia Abdennour, honorary president of the Algerian League of Human Rights. Opposition groups have been continuously trying to stage Saturday rallies in Algiers since January, although protests in the capital remain banned by law.
Posted in Algeria, Human Rights, Protests, Reform | Comment »
Algeria: Riots Over House Demolitions
March 24th, 2011 by Alec
Hundreds of demonstrators clashed with riot police in a poor neighborhood of Algiers, the capital, on Wednesday. The violence broke out after city authorities decided to bulldoze a group of houses claiming they had been illegally constructed. Anywhere between twenty to forty people were wounded according to different police and eyewitness accounts. Police claimed most of the injured were officers. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has promised to move faster on plans to build more housing, roads, and schools in an effort to stem increasing social unrest in the country. The government has also suggest constitutional reforms that would increase parliamentary power and the independence of the judiciary and introduce term limits. A small group of teachers have also been protesting over the past few days outside President Bouteflika’s residence as well.
Posted in Algeria, Protests, Reform | Comment »
The Guardian’s Map of the Arab Spring
March 22nd, 2011 by Kyle
Click on image for hyperlink.
Posted in Algeria, Bahrain, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Events, Human Rights, Iran, Iraq, Islam and Democracy, Islamist movements, Israel, Jordan, Journalism, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Military, Morocco, Multilateralism, Muslim Brotherhood, NATO, Palestine, Political Islam, Political Parties, Protests, Public Opinion, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, UAE, United Nations, US foreign policy, Yemen | Comment »
Algeria: Thousands Of Police March For Higher Pay
March 7th, 2011 by Alec
Despite a continued ban on protests in the Algerian capital, Algiers, an estimated 10-20,000 police officers pushed past security to protest outside the parliament building demanding salary raises along the lines of the country’s other security forces. Protesters also complained of being poorly equipped, taking part in security sweeps against suspected Islamists without helmets or bullet-proof jackets as some 4400 policemen have been killed since 1994 in armed confrontation with Islamists. A delegation of protesters met with parliament speaker Abdelaziz Ziari who reportedly was said to have found the demands “reasonable and legitimate” and promised to relay them to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.
Posted in Algeria, Protests | Comment »
Obama Commends Algeria For Lifting State of Emergency
February 25th, 2011 by Naureen
On Thursday, President Barack Obama commended the government of Algeria for formally lifting the State of Emergency which had been in place for 19 years: “This is a positive sign that the Government of Algeria is listening to the concerns and responding to the aspirations of its people, and we look forward to additional steps by the government that enable the Algerian people to fully exercise their universal rights, including freedom of expression, association and assembly. The United States is committed to continuing our cooperation with the Government of Algeria as it works to represent and meet the needs of all Algerians.”
Posted in Algeria, Freedom, Human Rights, Reform, US foreign policy | Comment »
Algeria: Emergency Law is Repealed
February 23rd, 2011 by Kyle
On Tuesday, Algeria’s Cabinet adopted an order to lift the 19-year-old state of emergency law. This measure is one of the economic and political demands that the opposition has sought in recent weeks. The government also announced that it would also undertake economic stimulus plans in an attempt to curb unemployment. It remains unclear what kind of an effect the removal of the law will have because earlier in the month Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, announced that protests would still be banned in Algiers indefinitely. The change will not go into effect until it is officially published in the government journal and its terms are outlined.
Update: U.S. State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley released the following statement in response to the announcement by the Algerian government: “The United States welcomes the lifting of the State of Emergency Law, in place since 1992, as a positive step. We reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including the freedom of assembly and expression.”
Posted in Algeria, Reform | Comment »
Algeria: Anti-Government Protests Broken up in Algiers
February 14th, 2011 by Naureen
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Algiers and Oran this weekend to participate in planned demonstrations against the government. Small groups of demonstrators angry at President Abdelaziz Bouteflika gathered in May 1 Square in the center of Algiers shouting “Bouteflika out!” and waving front pages of newspapers reporting Friday’s overthrow of Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak. Thousands of police officers quickly dispersed the crowds and arrested many of the demonstrators. In response State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley stated: ”We note the ongoing protests in Algeria, and call for restraint on the part of the security services. In addition, we reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including assembly and expression. These rights apply on the internet. Moreover, these rights must be respected.”
The turnout for protests has exceeded analysts’ expectations who believed that Algeria’s weak civil society and divided political landscape would prevent large scale protests like those seen in Tunisia and Egypt. Kal writing at The Moor Next Door also notes that the “Algerian regime is more effective at manging popular protests and riots than either Tunisia or Egypt, having done so for the last twelve years.” Additionally, he states, “the Algerian regime has something neither Tunisia nor Egypt has: piles and piles of gas money ready to be dumped on the right opposition and social players as needed.” Opposition groups have said that they will follow up this weekend’s protests by calling for demonstrations to take place in Algiers, every Saturday “until the regime steps down.”
Posted in Algeria, Egypt, Protests, Reform, Tunisia | Comment »
POMED Notes: “After the Uprisings: U.S. Policy in a Changing Middle East”
February 11th, 2011 by Naureen
On Thursday, the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) hosted a discussion on recent and ongoing events in Tunisia and Egypt and their influence on U.S. relations with the region’s governments and people and what steps the U.S. government can take to support democratic transitions in Egypt and Tunisia. POMED Executive Director Stephen McInerney made opening remarks and introduced panelists: Larry Diamond, Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution at Stanford University and founding co-editor of the Journal of Democracy; Tom Malinowski, Washington Director at Human Rights Watch; and Mona Yacoubian, Special Adviser at the Center for Conflict Analysis and Prevention, United States Institute of Peace.
To read full notes continue below, or click here for pdf.
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Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Diplomacy, Egypt, Event Notes, Events, Freedom, Human Rights, Islam and Democracy, Jordan, POMED, Protests, Reform, Tunisia, Yemen | Comment »
Algeria: Scheduled Protest on Saturday Set Despite Ban
February 7th, 2011 by Alec
Mustapha Bouchachi, president of the Algerian Human Rights Defense League, has stated that a scheduled protest for Saturday, February 12th in the capital will go ahead as scheduled. Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika had previously announced that the government would be lifting its state of emergency law that bans protests, however a ban on protests in the capital, Algiers, would remain in place. Zohra Drif Bitat, president of the upper house in the Algerian parliament, also publicly rebuked Bouteflika’s government for failing to deliver on economic promises and reform but also praised the promised lifting of the emergency law. The weekend saw at least two self-immolation suicide attempts inspired by events in Tunisia.
Posted in Algeria, Protests | Comment »
Algeria: State of Emergency Law to Be Lifted
February 3rd, 2011 by Alec
Tunisia style protests have also taken place in Algeria during the month of January but have quieted down since the last protest on January 22nd. Opposition groups are calling for renewed protest on February 12th. In anticipation of such protests, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika has decided to lift the 19 year old state of emergency law in the country. This would permit protest rallies to be held across the country except in the capital. Repeal of the emergency law was one of the main demands of the opposition.
Posted in Algeria, Protests, Reform | 1 Comment »
A Strategic Shift on Arab Reform? Don’t Bet on It
January 20th, 2011 by Cole
While embarrassed about supporting former President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, the West’s democracies are unlikely to change their overall strategy towards the region, writes Kristina Kausch, a researcher at FRIDE, the Madrid-based think-tank, specializing on EU policies in the Southern Mediterranean, democracy, human rights and political Islam. But the revolt in Tunisia confirms the need to move from a static model of stability-through-containment to sustained inclusive participation and far-reaching reform – before the system implodes.
See also the previous contributions to the Democracy Digest-POMED Tunisia symposium from Amr Hamzawy, Steven Heydemann, Larry Diamond, Arun Kapil, Shadi Hamid, Kamran Bokhari, and Nabila Hamza.
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Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Foreign Aid, Islamist movements, Tunisia, Tunisia Symposium | 1 Comment »
A Democratic Tsunami? No Chance
January 19th, 2011 by Cole
The Arab world is not about to experience a 1989-style democratic contagion. Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution is a one-off event, writes Arun Kapil, a political science professor at the Catholic University of Paris (Institut Catholique de Paris-FASSE). He is skeptical that the regime’s old guard could yet make a comeback, but believes prospects for successful democratization hinge on the behavior of the Islamists and the shape of the pact negotiated by the major political actors.
See also the previous contributions to the Democracy Digest-POMED Tunisia symposium from Amr Hamzawy and Steven Heydemann and Larry Diamond.
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Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Elections, Foreign Aid, Iran, Islamist movements, Libya, Morocco, Protests, Reform, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Tunisia Symposium | Comment »
Will Tunisian-Style Revolution Spread?
January 19th, 2011 by Alec
A piece in Foreign Policy outlines possibilities for a Tunisia-style revolt happening elsewhere in the Arab world. Five countries are singled out as particularly ripe for such events: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Jordan as they share many of the same problems at the root of Tunisia’s revolt – a government legitimacy deficit, economic stagnation, endemic corruption, high unemployment, and a demographic youth bulge. Laurie A. Brand, also writing for Foreign Policy, argues that a replication of Tunisia will not happen in Jordan. She states that current protests in Jordan are targeting the government led by Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai. However, the PM and his cabinet have little real influence on policy matters, as they are decided by the King and his close advisors in practice. In Jordanian society, however, the King is usually viewed as “being above the fray” she argues. Amr el-Shobaki, in a piece for AlMasry AlYoum, also openly doubts that Egypt will follow the path of Tunisia. El-Shobaki cites Egypt’s highly sectarian and divided society, poverty, illiteracy, and underdevelopment as reasons why Egyptians cannot unite in the same way Tunisians did.
Posted in Algeria, Egypt, Freedom, Jordan, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia | Comment »
The Jasmine Revolution’s Democratic Prospect: Too Early to Say?
January 19th, 2011 by Cole
Tunisia’s Jasmine Revolution has captured the imagination and raised the hopes of democracy advocates across the Arab world and beyond.
Within days of being warned by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that citizens had “grown tired of corrupt institutions and a stagnant political order,” the Middle East’s authoritarian rulers watched one of the Arab world’s most repressive and supposedly stable regimes become the first to be ousted by a genuine people’s power movement.
Given the region’s profound malaise, the elation felt by Arab democrats, human rights activists and civil society groups is merited and understandable. References to a coming democratic tsunami, of Tunis as the Arab world’s Gdansk, of another Arab Spring in prospect, all testify to an appetite for freedom that gives the lie to claims of Arab exceptionalism.
But many democracy advocates remain cautious, recalling the painful lesson of the post-Soviet world’s color revolutions: that regime change does not readily or necessarily lead to democratization. Others will remember a broader lesson: that history rarely repeats itself, except as farce – or tragedy.
When asked to assess the impact of the 1789 French Revolution, Zhou Enlai is said to have replied, “It is too early to say.”
Fortunately, such tentativeness is rare, allowing the Project on Middle East Democracy to join with our friends at Democracy Digest to ask a group of leading experts to address some critical questions and concerns being raised by activists and analysts:
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Posted in Algeria, Democracy Promotion, Egypt, Human Rights, Iran, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Reform, Syria, Tunisia, Tunisia Symposium, US foreign policy | 8 Comments »
Algeria: Protests a Reflection of Country’s Own History
January 10th, 2011 by Alec
In a piece for Foreign Policy’s The Middle East Channel, Hugh Roberts asserts that although the current riots in Algeria have been linked to steep increases in food prices, the riots reflect a broader sense of Algerian society morally revolting against the regime. Roberts further argues that Algerians have long given up hope on the country’s official institutions, the parliament in particular. “So the Algerians in their majority have learned the hard way that direct action — making a nuisance of themselves to the authorities in one way or another — is the only tactic that works.” In comparing current unrest to the 1988 October riots, Roberts notes that although the current rioting is larger in size and scope, the government has dealt with them much less aggressively.
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Algeria: Riots Continue in Algiers
January 7th, 2011 by Kyle
In response to rising food prices, housing shortages, and wider social and political grievances, Algerian youths rioted for the second night in a row in Algiers. Although these riots seem to bear no direct connection to the recent protests in Tunisia, Burhan Ghalioun, Director of the Centre for Contemporary Oriental Studies at the Sorbonne in Paris stated, “These populations live in geographic proximity, but also inhabit similar political, psychological and economic spaces. They see what is happening, understand that something needs to be done and join in.” At the blog The Moor Next Door, the author noted these “riots seem to be spontaneous [...] whether that crystallizes into any unified political movement or platform with durable group feeling remains to be seen.”
Posted in Algeria, Human Rights, Protests | Comment »
Could Protests Lead to an Obama “Arab Spring”?
January 6th, 2011 by Alec
In light of a recent wave of protests in Tunisia, Jordan, Egypt, and now Algeria, Steven Cook, writing at the Council on Foreign Relation’s blog, challenges commonly held assumptions that authoritarian Arab regimes are fundamentally stable and the chance for political change remains low. Cook argues that the Islamic Revolution in Iran was largely unexpected: “It may not be the last days of Ben Ali or Mubarak or any other Middle Eastern strongman, but there is clearly something going on in the region. Is it possible that the gendarme states in the region may not be a strong as we believe?” Marc Lynch echoes this sentiment: “If these protests continue to spread, both inside of countries and across to other Arab countries, then we really could talk about this being Obama’s ‘Arab Spring,’ only with the extra intensity associated with climate change.”
Posted in Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Protests, Tunisia | Comment »
