Political uprisings

Egypt: 31-year-old Emergency Laws Lifted in some Cases

Date: January 25th, 2012 |

In a manner of speaking, military rulers have lifted the 31-year-old emergency laws that gave police far-reaching powers. The emergency powers can still be used to combat crimes committed by “thugs,” a term that the military failed to define. Rights groups and pro-democracy activists in the country have already voiced disdain for the declaration’s ambiguity. [read more]

Bahrain: British Embassy Bombed in Recent Display of Disdain for Western Backed Sunni Dynasty

Date: December 10th, 2011 |

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The British Embassy in Bahrain was the target of a small bomb explosion, prompting the Bahraini government to provide additional security to foreign embassies in the country. Earlier this year, Bahrain was swept by a wave of unrest, and the latest bomb attack confirms that tensions remain. Between February and March of this year, the [read more]

Côte d’Ivoire: Violence Grows in City of Abidjan

Date: March 23rd, 2011 |

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Violence continues in Côte d’Ivoire as new clashes broke out in Abidjan when troops loyal to the controversial leader Laurent Gbagbo launched a mortar attack that killed at least 25 people March 17. In total, the fighting has killed more than 430 people since Gbagbo refused to step down after the election of Alassane Ouattara, [read more]

Egypt: Tourism Workers Implore Visitors to Return

Date: February 15th, 2011 |

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The exhilaration of the people-power movement that brought down Hosni Mubarak may last a long time, but one thing everyone hopes will pass is the loss of tourists. Such popular attractions as the Giza Pyramids and the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh have been virtually empty of tourists since the demonstrations began in January. [read more]

India: Darjeeling Shut Down by Political Tensions

Date: May 26th, 2010 |

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Political tensions sparked by the killing of a moderate Gorkha leader stranded hundreds of tourists in the popular hill town of Darjeeling May 23 when all transport and shops closed down. Police detained 45 supporters of the political party Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), but GJM’s leader denied involvement in his rival’s murder and condemned the [read more]

Cote d’Ivoire: Travel Warning due to Civil Unrest

Date: December 17th, 2011 |

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The U.S. State Department issued a travel warning citing the potential for civil unrest because several months of demonstrations have raised security concerns. Although the situation has recently stabilized, the Embassy continues to operate as a partially unaccompanied post, meaning minor dependents of Embassy workers are not permitted to travel with family members to or [read more]

Egypt: Instability Persists

Date: July 12th, 2011 |

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Months after the revolution in Egypt, the situation in Cairo is still unstable. Clashes broke out at a Cairo courthouse after police officers accused of killing protesters were released on bail. This is the latest in growing tensions over the speed at which trials of those accused of using deadly force during the uprising is [read more]

Middle East, North Africa, Persian Gulf: Political Unrest Continues to Spread

Date: February 23rd, 2011 |

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Following in the footsteps of successful popular revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt, citizens in multiple countries across the region continued to organize mass demonstrations against their rulers, often resulting in skirmishes between government forces and protesters. In Libya, the government was using the military against its own citizens, and in Bahrain, tens of thousands of [read more]

India: Armed Bodo Tribesmen Abduct Wildlife Workers, Vow New Campaign for Separate State

Date: February 9th, 2011 |

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Bodo tribal groups in Assam in northeastern India vowed to renew their campaign for a separate state that they abandoned in 2003 when they settled for an autonomous region within Assam. A few hours after the announcement on Feb. 6, 20 of them abducted six World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) officials who were on [read more]

Thailand: Ruling on Thaksin Fortune May Prompt Protests, Instability

Date: February 10th, 2010 |

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The Thai Supreme Court will rule Feb. 26 on whether the $2.2 billion fortune of disgraced former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra can be seized by authorities. The money, frozen after he was deposed in 2006, is believed to have been obtained largely through corruption. But he still has hundreds of thousands of “Red Shirt” supporters [read more]

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