WASHINGTON — In the three weeks since a poor, unlicensed Tunisian fruit-seller set himself on fire after police seized his wares, protests have ousted his country’s longtime authoritarian ruler and confronted the leaders of Egypt and Yemen. Political ferment has been growing in Jordan as well as energy-rich Algeria and Libya.
Mass protests have been called in Egypt, Yemen and Jordan today. Meanwhile, Lebanon appears to be headed into a new upheaval.
Here are brief descriptions of the events and their causes.
• EGYPT: Since Tuesday, Egyptians have marched in the largest grassroots anti-regime demonstrations since 1977 riots over bread prices. There’s no single organizer, and activists, students, and ordinary people have coordinated over cellphones and the Internet. Late Thursday, Internet access was disrupted.
President Hosni Mubarak, who has ruled since 1981 and is expected to try to pass the office to his son, Gamal, has received billions of dollars in U.S. military and civilian aid.
Egyptians are fed up with rampant corruption, repression, joblessness and rising prices. At least six people have been killed, hundreds injured and nearly 1,000 arrested.
• YEMEN: Tens of thousands marched Thursday in the capital, Sanaa, demanding an end to the 32-year rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who has been accused of corruption, nepotism and human-rights abuses in one of the Arab world’s poorest countries. Saleh also has angered Yemenis by letting U.S. drone strikes on suspected al-Qaeda targets.
• ALGERIA: Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s military-backed government has been making major international grain purchases in an apparent bid to avoid higher prices in coming weeks.
That’s because as the turmoil raged in Tunisia, violent protests over government-ordered price increases for flour and other basic foods roiled Algeria. Bouteflika enacted some price reductions, but many experts are predicting further unrest.
• LEBANON: Lebanon’s crisis is rooted in religious sectarianism. Hezbollah, the Shiite Muslim militia movement that has gained power in recent years with backing from Iran and Syria, pulled out of the Cabinet on Jan. 12, bringing down the government of U.S. ally Saad Hariri, a Sunni Muslim.
Hezbollah’s goal, analysts say, is to halt cooperation with a U.N. tribunal investigating the 2005 murder of Saad’s father, Rafiq. The tribunal is soon expected to name Hezbollah figures in the murder.
