Read on Twitter
Exactly 10 years ago today, Egypt's leader of nearly 30 years stepped down. Hosni Mubarak was one of the leaders toppled during what was known as "the Arab Spring." This 28-part thread includes 17 pieces, 4 videos, & more, recounting what happened during & since the uprisings.
Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring & has recently seen protests erupt again. It's not the first time that the country has seen protests since the revolution. Inequality & police brutality are at the heart of this movement. Read about it here... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/30/police-everywhere-justice-nowhere-hundreds-protest-in-tunisia
Algeria saw protests during the Arab Spring & recently saw another mass protest movement. As recently as October people were in the streets demanding real change & used the same slogan as so many did in 2011, “The people want the fall of the regime." https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/10/5/hundreds-protest-in-algiers-despite-ban-on-gatherings
Jordan largely escaped the mass protests that were seen in multiple neighbouring countries. This piece cites a combination of factors as the reason it did so well during this period of massive upheaval. Abdullah II remains the king to this day. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2014/2/9/here-is-how-jordan-escaped-the-arab-spring
Oman, Kuwait, Morocco, & Saudi Arabia faced protests as well but were able to get the movements under control with suppression & concessions. All are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council apart from Morocco, although members are keen to include it. https://northafricapost.com/46604-gcc-leaders-express-strong-support-to-morocco-and-its-territorial-integrity.html
Bahrain (also GCC) was a Shia country ruled by a Sunni monarchy. The killing of protesters galvanized the population, as it had in many other countries. GCC troops from the KSA/UAE were called in to crush the uprising. @kellymcevers wrote about it in 2012. https://www.npr.org/2012/01/05/144637499/bahrain-the-revolution-that-wasnt
Egypt was the second country to topple its dictatorship exactly 10 years ago today. Democracy lasted just a year before the military seized control during another uprising. Now Egypt is ruled by a new autocrat, Abdul Fattah al-Sisi, profiled by BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-19256730
Syria was one uprising that resulted in lasting tragedy. Assad was determined to stay in power & rivals used the protests to further their interests. It became a complex proxy war that left hundreds of thousands dead. @ZachLaub covers Syria from 1982-2019. https://www.cfr.org/article/syrias-civil-war
Yemen is obviously another of these tragic cases. While the protests did result in a new government, it was overthrown a few years later. A Saudi-led coalition has been fighting to restore it to power ever since. However, there is new progress under Biden. https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/new-us-leadership-analysts-see-hope-yemen
In less than 7 minutes, @AJEnglish explains the uprising in Yemen and how it resulted in the brutal war that's killed over 100,000 people. This is how the world's worst humanitarian disaster came to be. https://www.aljazeera.com/videos/2021/2/3/yemen-remembering-the-arab-spring
The uprising in Sudan lasted two years. President Omar al-Bashir said he would not seek "re-election" in 2015 but he reneged on his commitment & won with 94% of the “vote.” Another uprising began in late 2018 that resulted in his removal by the military. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/4/11/sudans-military-seizes-power-from-president-omar-al-bashir
Iraqis were not satisfied with the state of their country & joined in. A man who was just 31 self-immolated to protest unemployment in early February as the protests kicked off. Protests have continued sporadically until this month & will likely continue. https://www.garda.com/crisis24/news-alerts/440551/iraq-protests-ongoing-in-kut-as-of-feb-9-clashes-between-security-forces-and-protesters
The fate of Libya's uprising is well-known. A rebellion began & UNSC Resolution 1973 was adopted after Gaddafi made it clear he would assault Benghazi & explicitly said there would be "no mercy." NATO intervened & toppled his dictatorship. 1/3 https://www.reuters.com/article/libya-gaddafi-address-idUKLDE72G2E920110317
NATO & their Arab allies were not interested in using assets to stabilize the country & a second civil war began that lasted from 2014-2020. It's a complex conflict with a French proxy fighting NATO ally Turkey. @mbesheer on the latest from Libya... 2/3 https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/libya-agrees-transitional-government
Weapons looted from Gaddafi's many arms depots made their way to Mali, where they fell into the hands of the Tuareg population who staged a rebellion. This was followed by a military coup, Islamist insurgency, & multiple interventions. 3/3
Protests reached Lebanon as well during the uprising. The notoriously corrupt elite have retained control throughout multiple waves of protests that have continued until this year. The country hosts over a million refugees from Syria, many in need of aid. https://www.crisisgroup.org/middle-east-north-africa/eastern-mediterranean/lebanon/riots-lebanons-tripoli-are-harbingers-collapse
Mostly ignored when recounting the uprisings in the Arab world are the other demonstrations that took place as far away as in Russia, China, & the United States. Much the same as in late 2019, seeing other people take to the streets in often inspiring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impact_of_the_Arab_Spring
During the protests, @jgoldsto wrote about what is needed for a revolution to succeed & how one could be prevented. He applied this & was able to correctly predict much of what happened. Example, 'The region's monarchies are more likely to retain power.' https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2011-04-14/understanding-revolutions-2011?fa_anthology=1116900
'...beneath the surface stability, there was political misery and sterility.' Fouad Ajami recounts the uprising in this essay & looks at the situation as it stood in 2012, when freedom still seemed within reach. It's important to remember what failed. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/syria/2012-01-24/arab-spring-one
The Middle East & North Africa of 2021 is a totally different place than it was in 2011. @GeorgesFahmi points out 3 factors that make another region-wide uprising more difficult to achieve. 2011 was unique & it's likely it won't be repeated. https://www.chathamhouse.org/2021/01/arab-spring-10-years
With hindsight, @abuaardvark recounts the events of 2011 & what followed. He unintentionally coined the term "Arab Spring" at the time of the upheaval. Pivotal geopolitics & recent events are explored. 'More eruptions of mass protests now seem inevitable.' https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/middle-east/2020-12-08/arab-uprisings-never-ended
In October, @CarnegieMEC hosted an event on the legacy & lessons of the Arab Spring at 10 in honour of Malcolm Kerr. Incoming CIA Director William Burns spoke along with many others including @brhodes, @MarwanMuasher, & @camanpour. Fascinating discussion. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/10/19/legacy-and-lessons-of-arab-spring-at-ten-conversation-in-honor-of-malcolm-h.-kerr-event-7443
Also examining the legacy 10 years on is @KaliDRobinson. Helpful graphs are used to emphasize what drove the protests as well as the impact that the Arab uprisings had on each country. Much of the data set the stage for further demonstrations. https://www.cfr.org/article/arab-spring-ten-years-whats-legacy-uprisings
For further reading check out: "False Dawn" by @stevenacook, "The Arab Uprising" & "The New Arab Wars" by @abuaardvark, "The Battle for Syria" by @cjophillips (which was updated in 2020), & "The New Arab Revolt" by @ForeignAffairs & @CFR_org.
Finally, a rap song produced by one of the protesters in Tunisia. Catchy & relevant to the struggles citizens faced in Tunisia, it became an anthem to the revolution. While Tunisia faces issues today, it is the only true success story of 2011's movements.
What @brhodes said in the above discussion by @CarnegieEndow was very important. The US does need to support governments that work for their people. There's talk about Iran's malign behaviour which needs to end but when the same isn't said about Saudi activity, it rings hollow.
If the US & its allies want to play the game of supporting autocrats & monarchies while occasionally voicing human rights concerns they're going to get smashed by China & Russia. The US abandoned the JCPOA so China swooped in & benefitted. They'll be happy to support the KSA too.
Anyone pretending the unipolar moment isn't a thing of the past & the US can simply impose its will upon anyone it wants, let alone intervene militarily & succeed, is a fool. We tackle corruption or we lose the game because China & Russia have mastered corruption & autocracy.
Thanks to anyone who contributed to the work I cited here and to anyone who read it. It was a lot of fun reading about and remembering this movement. I find the Middle East & North Africa endlessly fascinating. I hope one day all peoples there can live free.
