2011 NEWS STORIES OF THE YEAR AND ONES TO WATCH IN 2012

Today, 1worldinternational compiles and publishes its list of the most newsworthy stories of 2011 and predictions of 2012’s expected headlines. In no particular order, the following countries provided 2011’s most newsworthy stories:

1. Tunisia – The country held its first elections following the end of Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s twenty something year rule. Many forget that the wind of change generated by the Arab spring emanated from the self immolation of Tunisia’s Mohamed Bouazizi.

2. South Sudan – The country became the 193rd state party to the UN Charter following a referendum in which 99% voted in favour of secession from Sudan.

3. Egypt – 2011 saw the end of the reign of Hosni Mubarak’s authoritarian 30-year rule. Mr Mubarak is at present facing trial for charges of murder which carries the death penalty if found guilty.

4. Libya – The UN Security Council Resolution 1973 brought Muammar Gaddafi’s 42 year rule to an end. Unfortunately Colonel Gaddafi did not live long enough to face the law before the Courts as he met his death in what can best be described as mysterious circumstances.

5. Cote d’Ivoire – Troops loyal to the incumbent President Alassane Ouattara overpowered rival forces led by Laurent Gbagbo following a disputed election reportedly won by the former. Mr Gbagbo will face the International Criminal Court (ICC) next year.

6. Serbia – Europe’s most wanted man and Bosnian Serb, Ratko Mladic, was finally captured after years of being on the run. The phrase ‘justice delayed is not justice denied’ could not be more apt on this occasion.

7. Afghanistan – The al-Qaeda figurehead, Osama bin Laden was shot dead by American troops in Pakistan. The al-Qaeda leader was said to have been a resident of Pakistan for a while. The violence still continues thus disproving the belief that the most effective way of killing a snake is by chopping its head off.

8. Palestine – With Mahmoud Abbas at the helm furthering its cause, Palestine was granted full membership of UNESCO although his quest for independence at the UN Security Council was unsuccessful. Mr Abbas is likely to say that the UNESCO endorsement is a step further towards its goal of full recognition as a nation.

9. Yemen – Like his Tunisian, Libyan and Egyptian counterparts, the Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 33-year reign came to an end in 2012. Under an agreement drafted by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Mr Saleh will formally step down from power in February/March of 2012.

10. Saudi Arabia – The unthinkable happened when King Abdullah decreed that women would for the first time have the right to vote and run in local elections from 2015.


ONES TO WATCH IN 2012

1. Afghanistan – Following President Barack Obama’s declaration, it is expected that the 33,000 US troops in Afghanistan will leave the country by mid -2012. With the level of violence being experienced by the country from insurgents at this time, President Obama may need to re-evaluate this move.

2. South Sudan – Latest clashes between the world’s newest country and its neighbour, Sudan, has the potential to escalate into a full blown conflict. Watch this space as they say.

3. Russia – Prime Minister Putin and yours truly never thought the day would come when protesters would defy threats of intimidation and the authorities to voice their displeasure over alleged rigged elections in the country. It remains to be seen whether the protests will lead to a rerun of the disputed elections or even, be the precursor to the end of Mr Putin’s presidential bid.

4. Iran – The country’s burgeoning nuclear ambitions have been frowned upon by the likes of Britain, USA and Israel. The proclamations of the Ayatollah and President Ahmedinejad have certainly not helped matters. With recent murmurings of Israeli and US joint military action, one fears we have not heard the last of this one.

5. North Korea – Kim Jong Un was named Supreme Commander following the death of his father Kim Jong Il earlier this month. Observers hope that a new course of action will be taken by the new leader in terms of its relationship with the international community. Kim Jong Un’s recent warning to South Korea and its allies that there will be no change in policy perhaps extinguishes the aforementioned hope.

6. Congo – Joseph Kabila’s disputed election victory in December 2011 led to violence, looting and destruction in this already conflict-ridden country. One of his opponents during the elections, Etienne Tshisekedi rejected the election results and proceeded to swear himself in as President. At present, there is no indication of any dialogue taking place between the parties; therefore one can only predict a continuation of the topsy turvy state of affairs which the country is now used to.

7. Iraq – 39,000 US troops were withdrawn this year after a 9-year campaign in the country which saw the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. There are real fears of sectarian violence and political impasse following the withdrawal.

8. The Middle East – Palestine, Syria, Yemen, Lebanon, Israel, Hezbollah, Hamas etc. Needless to say, there will be numerous newsworthy articles emanating from this region of the world as has always been the case.

9. China – Like Russia, few would have thought that protesters would be able to summon up courage to voice their distaste for the country’s ruling party and the endemic corruption prevalent in the nation. Will the Arab Spring spread to the Far East? One doubts it though one would have had to be a prophet to predict the downfalls of Gaddafi, Mubarak, Ben Ali and Saleh in 2011.

10. Yemen – Mr Saleh’s agreed handover date of February/March 2012 steadily approaches although this has not provided much delight to Yemenis as Mr Saleh has in the past reneged on promises made to leave power. The world watches with bated breath.

WILL THE ARAB SPRING BIRTH THE EAGERLY ANTICIPATED SUB-SAHARAN SUMMER?

The death of Mohammed Bouazizi in Tunisia in January 2011 gave birth to the series of protests and uprisings now globally referred to as the “Arab Spring”. The 26-year-old street vendor set fire to himself in protest following the confiscation of his wares and harassment allegedly suffered at the hands of Tunisian authorities. Mr Bouazizi suffered severe burns to over 90% of his body and later succumbed to the injuries sustained a few weeks later.

It is perhaps certain that no one, not even Mohammed Bouazizi, expected the magnitude of seismic waves which was generated following that one significant act of expression of frustration. It is also no exaggeration to proffer that Mr Bouazizi’s actions have resulted in a permanent shift of the tectonic plates constituting the foundation of the history of the Arab world. The demonstrations and protests which ensued in the aftermath of the death have led to the overthrow of the Tunisian President, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak. Elsewhere in the Arab world, Muammar Gaddafi’s attempts to violently contain peaceful protests in Libya eventually resulted in his overthrow by a group of heavily backed western-assisted rebels who are at present, in the process of forming a transitional government. The uprising does not end there as the leaders of Syria, Yemen and Bahrain are still in the process of containing their own revolutions.

Certainly, the circumstances which were and still are present at the time, and which led to the revolution - economic deprivation, unemployment, poverty, human rights violations and dictatorships - also exist in Sub-Saharan Africa. For instance, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbagogo of Equatorial Guinea has been in charge since 1979 after coming to power by way of a coup. Aside the country making a presence in the top 12 of the Transparency International compiled list of most corrupt countries, the United Nations (UN) have reported that less than half of the population has access to clean drinking water and that 20 percent of children in the country die before the age of five.

The Republic of Chad in the Western part of Africa has fared no better. According to the BBC, the country, which is Africa’s fifth-largest nation, suffers from inadequate infrastructure and internal conflict. The country which has been ruled by Idriss Deby for 21 years and his reign has coincided with unprecedented levels of poverty and poor health, as well as debilitating social and economic conditions. The poor standard of living present in the Republic of Chad is identical to the conditions which have festered in Eritrea during the course of President Isaias Afeweki’s 18 year reign and in Yahya Jammeh’s Gambia during his 17 year term.

Following the overthrow of Ben Ali of Tunisia, Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi, there remain 17 African leaders who have served terms of between 11 to 32 years in power. These leaders can also hardly be said to have assumed power by way of free and fair democratic elections. It should however not be forgotten that the people of Zimbabwe and most recently Uganda have engaged in peaceful protests against poor living conditions, spiralling levels of poverty and rising costs of living. Unsurprisingly, these protests have been brutally suppressed by their leaders. However, Laurent Gbagbo’s overthrow as President of the Ivory Coast after over a decade in power is perhaps an indication that Sub-Saharan Africans, like their North African and Arab neighbours, also thirst for the waters of democracy. At present however, it remains to be seen whether the Arab Spring, unwittingly sparked by Mohammed Bouazizi, will birth the eagerly anticipated Sub-Saharan summer.