The Year of Protests in the Arab World

An uncertain outcome

The upheaval in the Arab world is revolutionary and has gripped the entire region. But the mission isn't over yet. Only three rulers have been toppled to date: from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya. Hardly any country in the Arab world has been able to completely withdraw itself from the political pressure, which originated in Tunisia.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

The catalyst

On December 17, 2010, the Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi protested authoritarian rule and government corruption by setting himself on fire. His act sparked the Tunisian revolution and the chain of Arab Spring uprisings in the region.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

An act with repercussions

Bouazizi's act of desperation has an enormous impact. All across Tunisia, people take to the streets shortly after his self-immolation. Tunisia's dictator Zine Abidine Ben Ali steps down on January 14, 2011 and flees to Saudi Arabia in the face of the popular uprising.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

The people decide

Since Ben Ali's ousting, Tunisia saw a series of fragile interim governments. But on October 23, 2011the people headed to the ballot box, with the Islamist party Ennahda winning the largest number of seats in the new constitutional assembly. Many secular Tunisians fear an Islamization of the country, but Ennahda compares itself to moderate Islamists in Turkey.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

"We are all Khaled Said"

On January 25, 2011, the wave of protests reaches Egypt. The beating death of 28-year-old blogger Khaled Said in Alexandria the previous summer fuels the mass protests demanding the ouster of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak. Said's death came to represent repression in Egypt. Tens of thousands of people follow calls on the Facebook site "We are all Khaled Said" for a demonstration on January 25.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Violent action

But the protests in Egypt don't proceed peacefully. Hundreds of thousands of people filled the streets across Egypt for the "Friday of Anger" on January 28, 2011. Violent battles with police ensue; the military is deployed as support. Altogether over 800 people are killed in the government crackdown against the uprising. President Hosni Mubarak steps down on February 11.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

What comes next?

The euphoria over the ousted dictator is followed by a period of unclarity in Egypt. In the capital Cairo, people are irritated and impatient about the sluggish pace of reforms. Many new political parties and movements change the political scene. On November 28, 2011, the first round of Egyptian parliamentary elections takes place.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Rebels seek control

In Libya, bitter fighting between rebels and Moammar Gadhafi's troops feed fears of a long and bloody civil war. The West intervenes. In mid-March, US, French and British armed forces begin airstrikes against Gadhafi's positions. At the end of March, NATO officially takes over the command of the operation. The bombing of Gadhafi's troops and weapons caches paves the way for the rebel takeover.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

On the right track

Libyans rejoiced when the battle against the regime finally ended on October 20, 2011. Moammar Gadhafi was dead; the revolution triumphed over the dictator with the help of NATO. The National Transitional Council is leading the transition period to elections and the drafting of a constitution.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Standstill in Sanaa

In Yemen, the people have been calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down since protests began on January 27, 2011. Saleh has finally signed a transition deal brokered by the powerful Gulf Cooperation Council. If it holds, Saleh will step down after 33 years in power in exchange for immunity from prosecution. There are fears that the country will then slide into complete chaos.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Hanging by a thread

Following an assassination attempt in June, Saleh was flown to Saudi Arabia for medical treatment. Many Yemenis thought they had seen the last of him, but the 69-year-old returned to Yemen in September. In October, the UN Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 2014 condemning the government's crackdown on the mass anti-regime protest movement that has swept the country.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

The battle against Assad

Syria's Bashar al-Assad is clinging to power since the protests began in March in the southwestern town of Daraa. Pictures of the president are plastered on walls across the country. But behind the scenes, his security forces are brutally cracking down on the demonstrators. Hardly any information is making its way out of the country. Foreign journalists are being refused entry to Syria.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Cut off from the world

Every now and then protest groups are able to send out images like this to the world. The United Nations estimates that more than 5,000 people have died in Syria since the protests began in March - not least because most of the army refuses to close ranks with the demonstrators. Assad denies ordering the killing of protesters, but the regime's brutal crackdown shows otherwise.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Increasingly lonely

International pressure on Assad's regime is growing, though. The Arab League suspended Syria's membership in November, followed by economic sanctions - an unprecedented move against an Arab nation. The United States, the European Union and the emerging regional power Turkey have also all imposed sanctions, which are squeezing Syria's ailing economy.

The Year of Protests in the Arab World

Shaky Bahrain

In Bahrain, the Shia majority took to the streets in March to demand greater political freedom from the Sunni-led government. The government, backed by neighboring Saudi Arabia, forcefully put down the uprising. Over 30 people were killed. Sporadic protests still erupt in Bahrain but are quickly quelled by security forces. The Shia opposition says it will continue its fight for political change.

Author: Diana Hodali / sac | Editor: Rob Mudge