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After Egypt, winds of change sweep 7 nations
Washington, February 13 Egypt's simmering unrest that forced Hosni Mubarak to resign as the president after nearly three decades of uninterrupted rule, has hogged the world's attention for weeks. Here is a brief on seven other nations where the people's revolt has been emblematic. Tunisia: The northernmost country in Africa is where it all started, reports the Christian Science Monitor. When Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire in December, he didn't intend to spark a regional upheaval. Protests about unemployment, high food prices and other problems continued at a low level for weeks, exploding in mid-January. In a matter of days, then-president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country. Tunisia is now trying to cobble together a provisional government to lead the country until it can hold its first free election in years later this year. Algeria: In Algeria, demonstrators gathered in the capital Algiers on Saturday for a pro-democracy march, a day after protesters in Egypt forced out their longtime president. The march is organised by the Coordination for Change and Democracy (CNCD), a newly formed umbrella group of trade unions, human rights groups and left-wing parties. Protesters were also planning a march in the city of Oran. Algerians protesting against the rule of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is reportedly frustrated over poverty and a lack of basic
freedoms. Bahrain: Anti-government protests by Bahrain's marginalised Shi'ite majority on Monday are not likely to rival the Egyptian revolt, but will add to the pressure on the king to make more concessions to his people. Gulf states are not expected to face full-scale revolts thanks to a golden bargain under which their rulers trade a share of their oil wealth for political quiescence, but Bahrain is among the most vulnerable to popular pressure. “If there was one place in the Gulf that I was going to predict that there would be something similar (to Egypt), it would be Bahrain," said Toby Jones, professor of Middle Eastern studies at US-based Rutgers
University. Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh announced that he would not run for re-election in the 2013 presidential elections. President Saleh, who has been the leader of unified Yemen for more than 20 years, has faced Egypt-inspired protests over the past two weeks, and it remains to be seen whether his concession will be enough to satisfy the protesters.
Jordan: In response to periodic protests in Jordan, King Abdullah II sacked his entire cabinet and called for the formation of a new government. He said the new government will be required to implement reforms, though many Jordanians are skeptical about meaningful change. While Egypt's and Yemen's protests are closely linked to anger over corruption and a lack of political reform, Jordan's protests seem mostly tied to economic concerns.
Syria: Although no protests have yet materialised in Syria, there have been murmurings, and a drive on Facebook to organise a "day of rage". Syrians say they want greater freedom and civil rights. According to The Globe and Mail, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he is not worried that the discontent could lead to trouble for him and his government because his beliefs are aligned with those of the Syrian people.
Sudan: Not only is Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir likely to lose a huge chunk of territory in a few months, as the South secedes from the North following the recent referendum, but he is also facing protests in the capital Khartoum that stem from economic and political discontent. Security forces took strong action against the mostly student protesters, beating and arresting many of those they found in the streets.
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