Cameroon Feb 23rd protest brutally stopped, Eriteria, Equatorial Guinea, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia & ..

[the_future_modernes]

CAMEROON

Cameroon Protest 23 Feb 2011: Police Easily Cracks Down Cameroon Protests VIDEO AT THE LINK IS DISTURBING

23 February – Cameroon’s nation-wide anti-government protests started modestly today, with calls for President Paul Biya to step down. But protesters in Douala and Yaoundé were outnumbered by police.

Since the food price riots in 2008, 23 February has been the day in the year discontent Cameroonians take to the streets; mostly being quickly dispersed by the police.

This year was to be different, according to the hopes and aspirations of the organisers of the protests. This year, they had announced during the last few weeks, 23 February would be the start of Cameroon’s Egypt-like revolt.
A gathering of protesters in Douala’s Akwa neighbourhood was dispersed.
Reports from Cameroon today – both by the protesters and the media – however indicate that the anticipated anti-government riot rather has been a bleak repetition of the minor 23 February protests during the last years.

The reason may have been that Cameroonian authorities were on a high alert over possible riots, with Communication Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary yesterday telling the local press that organisers of the protests wanted “to destroy this nation.”

Consequently, Cameroon’s two major cities this morning were filled up with riot police. In Douala, the country’s largest city located at the coast, large groups of uniformed police and soldiers lined up at central squares, roads and in the central Akwa neighbourhood. Vehicles entering the city were stopped and checked by police.MORE

CAMEROON, GABON, ZIMBABWE, MAURITANIA, ERITERIA, EQUATORIAL GUINEA

Reports: Cameroon, Gabon, Zimbabwe and Mauritania to see protests?

Like we all know, Gabon has been protesting for a while so this is late. But thanks for finally paying attention!

Update: Max Wilcox, a Vancouver entrepreneur, wrote on Twitter that her colleagues in Mauritania report things are stable there, though there are reports citizens there are protesting in solidarity with protesters in Libya and against Gaddafi. Update II: The Committee to Protect Journalists reports that Eritrea, Equatorial Guinea, and Zimbabwe have imposed "total news blackouts" on the developments in the Middle East and North Africa in the countries's state-run media.MORE

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah: King returns to Saudi Arabia with promises of change

The king has promised to improve housing, the chances of experiencing study abroad and social security benefits by investing money in them. State run television said that the King will "increase the social security budget by 1 billion riyals and housing fund capital by 40 billion riyals, as well as a decision to make a 15 percent cost of living allowance permanent for government employees" Nice incentive?

The improvements announced also included:

Pardoning some Saudi nationals who had been jailed for failing to meet debt obligations.

Paying their debt for them.

Paying aid for unemployed young people.

Paying tuition fees to young unemployed people so that they can study abroad.

Funding for literary clubs and social security funds.MORE

Saudis call Day of Rage protests across the country

The Saudis have posted on facebook calling for Day of Rage protests across the country on march 11 as king Abdullah promises more benefits for the citizens. The calls include that rulers should be elected and that political prisoners released . Saudis are also demanding more freedom for women .

Saudi women are not allowed to drive cars in the country and cannot travel abroad without a male relative or partner. They can’t rent houses , work in public places such restaurants and coffee shops. The only jobs that they can currently occupy is teaching at nurseries and girls schools , nursing and parenting. MORE

MORROCCO

Moroccan single mother burns herself in protest

RABAT (Reuters) - A young Moroccan set herself on fire after being excluded from a social housing scheme because she was an unmarried mother, a local government official said on Wednesday.

Morocco introduced a new family law in 2004 that has won it praise from Western countries for giving women more rights than many Arab countries.

But single mothers continue to struggle in the absence of a social safety net as authorities in the Muslim country do not recognize children born out of the wedlock.

Mother-of-two Fadwa Laroui, 25, used flammable liquid to set herself on fire in front of the town hall of Souk Sebt, in central Morocco, late Monday, the town's mayor Boubker Ouchen told Reuters.

Two Souk Sebt residents said Laroui died Wednesday at a Casablanca hospital, but Ouchen could not confirm that. Medical sources at Casablanca's Ibn Rochd hospital, where she was being treated, could not be reached for comment.MORE

5 die in Moroccan protests: Despite some violence, King Mohammed VI permits nation-wide demonstrations for reform.

RABAT, Morocco – Five people died in anti-government protests in Morocco and many buildings were damaged, but the nation-wide marches were not met with harsh repression from King Mohammed VI’s government.

Under a cold drizzle, thousands of Moroccans gathered Sunday in the main cities of the kingdom to demonstrate in favor of political reform. Many of the demonstrators carried out angry acts of vandalism and five people burned to death when a bank was set on fire in the northern city of Al Hoceima. In all 128 people, including 115 member of the security forces, were injured and 33 public buildings, 24 banks, 50 shops and private buildings and 66 vehicles were burned or damaged, according to the Interior Ministry.

The marches were organized by human rights activists, journalists, union members and representatives of political parties who united for the “February 20 Youth” movement which they started on Facebook to denounce a government they consider elitist and corrupt.

“I have an agenda: Equality means justice. Democracy equals a new constitution,” stated one banner. Another said: “The king should reign not rule.”

Democracy and Freedom, the group that initiated the march is asking for a rehaul of the constitution to reduce the power of the monarch and separate the powers between the king and an elected parliament.MORe

LIBYA

Meantime: AL Jazeera English Libya Live Blog reports that:

2:23pm We're now broadcasting live from inside Libya; specifically, from the eastern city of Tobruk, which we hear is under protester control. Our footage shows an anti-Gaddafi rally, with people holding "Free Libya" signs.

...


3.41pm: Libyan protesters claim to have taken over Misurata, which would be the largest city in the western half in the country to fall into their hands, news agency AP reports. There are reports that six people were killed and 200 were injured in fighting there.

Libyans told AFP that the anti-Gaddafi movement was in firm control from the Egyptian border through Tobruk and Libya's second city Benghazi until Ajdabiya, further west along the coast.

...

6.15pm: A private Libyan jet that was prevented from landing at Beirut's airport was carrying on board the wife of one of Gaddafi's sons, Voice of Lebanon radio reported Wednesday.

...

7.04pm: Malta has turned back the unscheduled flight that was carrying Gaddafi's daughter, Aisha Gaddafi. The plane is said to be headed back to Libya, Cal Perry reports from Valletta.

1:31am: The U.N. Development Program has dropped Libyan leader's Muammar Gaddafi's daughter as a goodwill ambassador.

1:48am: Aisha, Gaddafi's daughter, has appeared on state television, denying a report she tried to flee to Malta. "I am steadfastly here," she said. She added she was unaware of a report she had been dropped by the United Nations as a goodwill ambassador.MORE

The Guardian Live Blog says:
5:04pm

• Benghazi appears to have fallen irretrievably beyond the control of Muammar Gaddafi, reports the Martin Chulov, the first foreign journalist to reach the city. Troops who have defected from the Gaddafi regime are barricading a police station in the city to prevent it being seized back by Gaddafi's forces in the city, where doctors said at least 230 people have been killed. One air force officer told the Guardian he personally witnessed up to 4,000 mercenaries arrive on Libyan transport planes, each of them carrying 300 armed men.

• The cities of Zliten and Misrata, close to Tripoli, are reportedly under the control of anti-Gaddafi protesters. If the reports are correct they would be the first cities in the west of the country to fall to the demonstrators, whose support base is mainly in the east. The Guardian's Ian Black said the fall of Misrata suggests the west of Libya is now beginning to be seriously affected.

• The UK foreign secretary, William Hague, has said the UK will provide "as many planes as are necessary" to evacuate British nationals from Libya. He said that in addition to those Britons in Tripoli, Benghazi and other cities, there are some 170 Britons working in remote, isolated camps in the desert in Libya who are in a "perilous and frightening situation". One charter flight is en route to Tripoli to collect British nationals, while another will arrive later today. A third flight may be scheduled for Thursday morning.

• Mercenaries and militias are reported to be roaming Tripoli, with much of the capital deserted. Overnight a "heavy force of supporters and militiamen" were on the streets, brought out by Gaddafi's speech, Associated Press reported. Tripoli airport is "very, very chaotic", an English teacher who flew out last night told the Guardian. "There was a real crush – it was a very frightening experience," Peter Thomas said. "Our tickets had been bought in Turkey so we didn't have them with us. We just had to persuade the guards at various checkpoints that we should be allowed through."MORE

Also, they keep finding bodies of dead policemen in Benghazi who apparently refused to attack their fellow citizens. The revenge taken on then is in many cases too gruesome to show on TV.

Arabs in solidarity with Libyan uprising against brutal Gaddafi

The brutality used against Libyan protesters has brought international condemnation of Gaddafi and his regime for crimes against humanity.

Attacks on Gaddafi's actions were most vocal on Arab streets. Arab regimes were also quick to issue statements showing disapproval regarding the situation.

In a historic stance, the Arab League, viewed as a failed institution for decades now, issued a statement Tuesday banning Libya from attending its council meetings and issuing a decree officially condemning the Libyan regime’s actions as well as calling for member states to provide much needed aid for the Libyan people.

Amr Mousa, secretary general of the Arab League, expressed his concern about the events unfolding in Libya, offering his condolences to the Libyan people and insisting the bloodshed must stop.MORE

YEMEN


Yemen's protesters angry but also ambivalent: Most of the demonstrators in Yemen want President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, but they can't agree on which political and economic reforms to pursue.

Despite nearly two weeks of often violent protest in Yemen, including shootings Tuesday night that left two anti-government protesters dead, according to an ambulance driver, life for most people in this dusty, Arab capital hardly feels revolutionary. That atmosphere reflects the nuanced and relatively circumscribed nature of Yemen's current unrest.

Although many Yemenis are angry at the state of their country, where 35% unemployment, high prices and a nearly stagnant economy make life extremely difficult, they are not agreed on the best way to fix things. None of the various groups — Saleh's supporters and opponents, members of the political opposition coalition and tribal factions — are acting monolithically. Instead, they are reflecting the diverse and complex social and political fabric of Yemen.MORE

Yemen protesters shot dead at Sanaa University: Pro-government demonstrators fired dozens of rounds from AK-47s at the anti-government protesters.

SANAA, Yemen — Pro-government demonstrators opened fire Tuesday night on 3,000 anti-government protesters calling for an end to Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule.

As Saleh supporters began breaking through lines of riot police at Sanaa University, rival protesters began hurling stones toward the pro-government camp. Seconds after both groups began throwing rocks, dozens of rounds from AK-47s and handguns were fired into the anti-government crowd.MORe

In Yemen, Leader Says He’ll Talk, but Not Quit

SANA, Yemen — President Ali Abdullah Saleh, looking shaken at a news conference here on Monday, said he would not give in to the demands of protesters who have sought his ouster during 10 days of sustained demonstrations around Yemen.


Yemeni protesters shouted slogans during a demonstration, demanding the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, on Monday in Sana.


President Ali Abdullah Saleh spoke at a news conference.

“Why do they want to return to chaos?” he said, offering instead to sit down with the protesters and discuss political reforms, rather than abandon his three decades of authoritarian rule.

Mr. Saleh’s embattled government has faced street demonstrations both from organized opposition parties, who have extracted concessions but have demanded further reforms, and from young protesters seeking to emulate the revolutions that toppled the leaders of Egypt and Tunisia.MORe

ALGERIA

Algeria to lift state of emergency

Reporting from Dubai, United Arab Emirates —
In a major concession to Algeria's opposition groups, the government on Tuesday adopted a measure that would lift a 19-year state of emergency that has constrained civil liberties and human rights in the North African oil exporter.

A draft ordinance approved by the Cabinet would repeal the emergency law as soon as it is published in the government's official journal, the official Algerie Presse Service reported.

An opposition leader last week said he had been assured that the state of emergency would be lifted by the end of February.

The emergency measures, long lambasted by international human rights groups, have barred peaceful protests, limited constitutionally granted political freedoms and allowed for what many described as arbitrary detentions. Ultimately, they have bolstered the power of shadowy figures in the security establishment, complicating any path toward democracy.

The strict conditions were imposed at the beginning of the country's decade-long civil war, which pitted Islamic militants against a military-dominated government that refused to abide by the results of first-round elections in 1991 that suggested Islamists would win power. Tens of thousands died in the conflict.MORe

Protest strikes dog Algeria

ALGIERS — Protest strikes hampered business as usual in Algeria Tuesday, testing the government's confidence that it will not succumb to a popular uprising like the ones that toppled the Tunisian and Egyptian regimes.

The normally docile judicial system saw the sixth day of a strike by court clerks, forcing the postponement of many trials, while municipal workers, engineering students and even paramedics also downed tools.

The strikes have coincided with short-lived anti-government protests on Saturday and Monday in the capital Algiers.

In northeastern Annaba, an industrial centre, seven unemployed people staged a protest on the roof of the administration building in which they mutilated themselves. One lost consciousness after slashing his torso and was taken to hospital.MORE

FEATURE-Algeria state media opens up as Arab protests rage

* Bouteflika orders state media to cover opposition

* Algerian government fears Egypt- or Tunisia-style uprising

* Algeria to lift a 19-year-old state of emergency soon

By Lamine Chikhi

ALGIERS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - When reporters from Algeria's state news agency arrived to cover an opposition rally on Feb. 19, they were greeted with surprise.

After all, it was the first time in years the agency, long a mouthpiece of the North African oil producer's government, had attended a march critical of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

"It's been a long time! Where have you been?" people quipped. "I can't believe it!"

Fearing a wave of Arab world uprisings that started in neighbouring Tunisia and has toppled two governments so far, Algeria has ordered state-owned media to cover the opposition. MORe

JORDAN

Jordan feeling the tremors of change sweeping the Middle East

While the world's attention has been riveted by events in Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain and Libya particularly in the last couple of days, Jordan has not yet been in the limelight. Yet, every Friday, since January 7, 2011, there have been protests in the streets of Amman, and on Sunday, February 21st, King Abdullah II attempted to address some of the complaints targeting the monarchy:

Many issues are being raised. Some are true, some are exaggerated, and others are untrue. There is talk about corruption, there is waste and favoritism, there is talk about failed institutions, about privatization: whether it been a success or a failure, whether it has led to wasting the resources of the country or increased them. There is also talk about taxes: Are they fair or not? Have investment and openness to the private sector helped Jordan or not? And there are other issues that are being discussed, sometimes objectively and accurately, and, quite often, discussions are based on rumors and false information. Such rumors should be addressed by presenting clear and correct information to the people.

The protests are divided between a youth movement calling itself Jayeen (we are coming) and Islamists. In today's Strait Times, a member of the executive committee of the Islamic Action Front said it was planning to stage a 'day of anger' demonstration with other parties on Friday to demand reforms, in what they hope will be the largest protest since January.They expect about 10,000 members of the Islamist movement to be joined by members of the country's 19 political factions.
MORE

Youth activists, Islamists 'strange bedfellows'

AMMAN - Although they will carry common banners and chant slogans for political reform on Friday, youth activists and Islamists will be far from a united front.

Since announcing a “Day of Anger” for Friday, the first major demonstration since leftists and youth activists were targeted by “thugs” during a peaceful protest, the return of the Muslim Brotherhood in demonstrations has been met with mixed reactions.

Rather than welcoming the support, leftists and youth activists said they view the participation as an attempt by Islamists to keep up with new social forces driving demands for reform in the Kingdom, making this weekend’s demonstration another stage in the uneasy alliance between the two movements.

Mixed reactions

When Islamists announced earlier this week that they would join the planned protests in solidarity, Hamzah Bordin was one of several youth activists who was less than thrilled.

The 25-year-old member of Jayeen (We are coming) movement, a coalition of leftists, disgruntled public sector workers, and youth activists, claimed the Islamists’ sudden change of heart was an attempt to “monopolise” the streets. MORE

Jordan and Yemen Hold Anti-Gaddafi Protests

On Tuesday, demonstrators across the Middle East staged protests against the government of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.

The protest condemned the bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters in the North African country.

In Amman, the capital of Jordan, protesters gathered near the Libyan embassy.

They shouted slogans against Gaddafi’s regime.

[Mohammed Mokhtar, Protester, a Libyan Imam from Benghazi]:
"When the Egyptians say they want to topple the regime and Tunisians say they want to topple the regime, we cannot say we want to topple the regime as we want to topple chaos and to build a system. We did not have a regime, we have chaos.” MORe

FEb 19 - 8 injured in Jordan protests

Amman, Feb 19 (IANS) At least eight people were injured in clashes between pro and anti-government demonstrators in Jordan's capital Amman, a media report said Saturday.

Anti-government protests continued Friday as Jordanians took to the streets demanding constitutional reform and more say in decision-making, Al Jazeera reported.

About 2,000 pro-democracy protesters were holding their peaceful weekly demonstration in the capital when they came under attack from pro-government activists armed with batons, pipes and stones, Iran's Press TV said. MORE