Arab Spring/Addendum

Key
[OE] denotes oil economy
[MOE] denotes mixed oil economy
[DE] denotes diversified economy
[PEE] denotes primary exporting economy
CPI denotes the Corruption Protection Index, which ranges from 0 for highly corrupt to 10 for totally transparent.
DI denotes Democracy Index which ranges from 0 for totalitarian to 10 for fully democratic.
GI denotes Gini index which is a number between 0 and 100 reflecting the degree of inequality of family income.
GDP/head figures are at purchasing power parity exchange rates using CIA World Factbook figures.

Arab national movements

(Situation on 1 August 2011}

Algeria

([MOE], Population 35m, 99% Sunni Muslim CPI 2010: 2.9, DI 2010: 3.4, unemployment rate: 9.9%, GDP/head: $7,300), OPEC member country profile
The protests and strikes in January and after were mainly about living standards and corruption. President Bouteflika responded with cuts in food prices, and a promise to review the constitution. Algeria does not recognise the Libyan National Transitional Council.

Bahrain

([OE], Population 1.2 m, 81% Muslim, CPI 2010: 4.9, DI 2010: 3.5, unemployment rate: 3.6%, GDP/head: $40,300)
Protest movements have been crushed by force, increasing the previously existing tensions between the Shi'ite majority and the Sunni minority.

Egypt

([DE], Population 82m, 90% Muslim, CPI 2010: 3.1, DI 2010: 3.1,unemployment rate: 9.7%, GDP/head: $6,200)
In February 2011, mass protests ended the 30-year presidency of Hosni Mubarak, and he was replaced by the "Supreme Council of the Armed Forces" (SCAF) that has promised a transition to democracy . Protests continued as a result of tension between the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces and the youth movements that launched the January 25th Tahrir Square uprising , and in July there was a mass demonstration, organised by the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, calling for an Islamic state and Sharia law.

Jordan

([DE], Population 6.5m, 92% Muslim, CPI 2010:4.7, DI 2010: 3.7, GI: 38, unemployment rate: 13.4%, GDP/head: $5,400)
King Abdullah responded to the mainly peaceful protests by sacking his Cabinet and appointing a new Prime Minister. There have since been few protests.

Lebanon

([DE], Population 4m, 60% Muslim, 39% Christian, CPI 2010: 2.5,DI 2010: 5.8, unemployment rate:9.2 %, GDP/head: $14,400)
The January protests were against Hezbollah's attempt to take over the country's government.

Libya

([MOE], Population 6.6m, 97% Muslim, CPI 2010: 2.3, DI 2010: 1.9, GI: 36, unemployment rate: 20.7%, GDP/head: $14,000), OPEC member

The protests developed into a major civil war with over 10,000 casualties, in which the rebels were supported with NATO supplies and airstrikes. Libya's complex tribal structure is said to play a crucial role in its politics and now in the pro-democracy opposition movement. The rebel National Transitional Council has been recognised as the legitimate representative of the Libyan people by the USA, France and the UK.

Morocco

([DE], Population 40m, 99% Muslim, CPI 2010: 3.4, DI 2010: 3.8, unemployment rate:9.8%, GDP/head: $4,800)
Protests have been mainly peaceful. King Mohammed has promised constitutional reform.

Oman

([OE], Population 3m, 75% Muslim, CPI 2010: 5.3,DI 2010: 2.9, unemployment rate: 15%, GDP/head: $23,600)
The Sultan has responded to protests by promising to give legislative powers to Oman's parliament.

Saudi Arabia

([OE], Population 26m, 100% Muslim, CPI 2010: 4.7, DI 2010: 1.8, GI: 32, unemployment rate: 10.8%, GDP/head: $24,200), OPEC member
Protests have been few and local, confined to Shia areas in the east. The Saudi army was used to crush the opposition in Bahrain.

Syria

([DE], Population 23m, 90% Muslim, CPI 2010: 2.5, DI 2010: 2.3, unemployment rate: 8.3%, GDP/head: $4,800)
Syrian security forces have fired on unarmed protesters, possibly killing as many as 1,000 of them. President Bashir al-Assad has repealed an unpopular Emergency Law.

Tunisia

([DE], Population 10.6m, 98% Muslim, CPI 2010: 4.3, DI 2010: 2.8,unemployment rate: 14%, GDP/head: $9,400)
Protesters have forced the resignation of President Zine al-Abidine Mebazaa, and elections have been scheduled for October 2011 after several delays. The outlawed Islamist party, Hizb al-Nahda, has been legalised. The head of the army, General Rachid Ben Ammar, has announced that the army intends to act as the "guarantor of the revolution".

Yemen

([PEE],Population 24m, 99% Muslim, CPI 2010: 2.2, DI 2010: 2.6, unemployment rate: 35%, GDP/head: $2,700)
Protests about unemployment, malnutrion and corruption continued after February, with the civilian death toll reaching over 400. Fierce fighting between the country’s most powerful tribe and the security forces began in Sanaa in May, and have since become more widespread. President Saleh attended in hospital in Saudi Arabia, having been injured by a rocket. Months of popular street protests have been accompanied by a bitter power struggle between the president's clan and their rivals, the Bani al-Ahmar. Riots continued after President Saleh promised to step down in 2013, and in August 2011, he said that Yemenis were "committed" to various initiatives proposed by Gulf states and members of the Security Council to "as soon as possible … arrange to hold general and free and direct elections for the new president of the country,"[2]

The international response

The United Nations

On February 2011, the Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1970 , imposing an arms embargo on Libya and freezing the assets of its leaders. On March 17, it adopted resolution 1973 (2011) by a vote of 10 in favour to none against, with 5 abstentions (Brazil, China, Germany, India, Russian Federation), authorising Member States, "to take all necessary measures to protect civilians under threat of attack in the country, including Benghazi, while excluding a foreign occupation force of any form on any part of Libyan territory" .

The European Union

The European Commission has made available EUR €30 million for humanitarian aid in Libya and to refugees at the Tunisian and Egyptian borders. The EU has also offered Arab Countries "Partnerships for Democracy and Shared Prosperity” conditinal upon evidence of concrete progress toward the establishment of democracy, human rights, social justice, good governance and the rule of law . France and Britain have taken major parts in the NATO intervention in Libya which, however has been opposed by Italy and Germany .

NATO

On March 27 2011, NATO decided to take on the whole military operation in Libya under United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973. The stated purpose of Operation Unified Protector was "to protect civilians and civilian-populated areas under threat of attack."

USA

On 17 May 2011, President Obama announced a new chapter in American diplomacy. In addition to the pursuit of existing policy objectives, such as countering terrorism, it would be be the policy of the United States to promote reform across the region, and to support transitions to democracy. But, noting that the people themselves who had launched the protest movements, he emphasised that it should be "the people themselves that must ultimately determine their outcome". A CNN/Opinion Research Poll indicated approval by a majority of Americans as well as opposition by a substantial minority.

Russia

On 7 March Russian foreign minister Serghei Lavrov stressed Moscow's opposition to military intervention in Libya: "we don't see how any form of external intervention could possibly solve the Libyan crisis, especially if it were military in nature. Libyans need to solve their own problems.