Tunisian Revolution and the Middle East--And Now, The Withdrawal From Afghanistan (M.E.T.)

[visionary]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/robert-mugabe-said-to-be-fighting-for-life-in-singapore-hospital/story-e6frg6so-1226322291456

Robert Mugabe said to be fighting for life in Singapore hospital

ZIMBABWEAN dictator Robert Mugabe was yesterday said to be fighting for his life in a Singapore hospital with an undisclosed illness, amid reports he had agreed to hand over power to his feared Defence Minister Emmerson Mnangagwa.

The Zimbabwe Mail, quoting a senior official of Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, said the President was undergoing intensive treatment in Singapore and that some members of his family had joined him after boarding a chartered private jet on Saturday.

The alarm was raised when the government postponed a cabinet meeting set for today.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/bahrain-transferring-striker-16102187#.T4MV9tVTDzg

UN: Bahrain Should Consider Transferring Striker

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says Bahrain should consider transferring a jailed activist who is on a two-month hunger strike to Denmark for medical treatment on humanitarian grounds.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who is a Danish citizen and has been refusing food since Feb. 8, is serving a life sentence for his role in last year's uprising by the island nation's Shiite majority against a Western-backed Sunni monarchy.

Edited April 9, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

Just when you thought the Egyptian election couldn't get any wilder...it proves you wrong!

First there were worries of multiple disqualifications by the Military run Election Commission because of the American ties of several Islamist candidates, then they said that the Salafist candidate was ok to run and that his mother didn't have dual citizenship after all (decision made after a huge crowd of angry supporters of his gathered around the place where they were meeting to discuss it.) Then Omar "the torturer" Suleiman (Mubarak's former intelligence chief and all around torture and rendition guy and more recently his last VP) interjected himself into the race. There's been lots of anger about him over the last few days, ranging from complaining about the stuff he had done to prisoners to less sane claims that he's secretly a jew.

Now we have this:

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/egypt-apr-14-2012-2130

Egypt election body disqualifies 10 candidates from presidential pol, including ex-spy chief Omar Suleiman, Brotherhood's Khairat Elshater, and Hazem Abu Ismail.

[source:Reuters]

The salafist candidate, the MB candidate, and Sulieman have all been disqualified by the commision. Why? Who knows. It should be interesting to find out.

Oh and by the way the election is in about a month.

Edited April 14, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/2012414185229419379.html

Farouk Sultan, head of the Supreme Presidential Election Commission, said on Saturday that that 10 of the 23 registered candidates had been barred from the race, including Hosni Mubarak's former spy chief Omar Suleiman, Muslim Brotherhood chief strategist Khairat el-Shater and lawyer-turned-preacher Hazem Abu Ismail.

The presidential elections are expected to happen on the 23-24 May.

Tarek Abul Atta, a commission official, said that Suleiman had been disqualified because he failed to get enough endorsements from 15 provinces as required under the law.

Shater, who was released from prison in March last year, was barred because of a law stating that candidates can only run in elections six years after being released or pardoned, Abul Atta said.

Abu Ismail is out of the race because his mother holds another nationality, violating election rules which state that all candidates, their parents, and their wives must have only Egyptian citizenship.

According to election rules, candidates who have been disqualified can appeal the decision within 48 hours.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17694485

Runner holding Libya's Olympic hopes

Edited April 15, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE83E06820120415?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0

Algeria offers own brand of "Arab Spring" for vote

The changes were sufficient to entice the Front of Socialist Forces, one of the biggest opposition parties, to take part. It has boycotted all national elections for the past 15 years.

Also on the ballot is the Front for Justice and Development, an Islamist group resolutely opposed to the government which until weeks ago was excluded from the political mainstream.

Meanwhile the two traditional parties of power are struggling. The bigger one, the National Liberation Front, is in turmoil, with rebels trying to unseat their party leader.

In other changes, commissions of judges and political parties have been given oversight over how the vote is run. International observers, including some from the European Union and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), have been invited.

There is, though, little sign of enthusiasm about the election in Algeria, which this year marks the 50th anniversary of its independence from France.

In fact, the authorities seem concerned that apathy could lead to a low turnout. The state phone operator has been sending out text messages urging people to vote.

Even with the changes, parliament has few powers, many people suspect opposition parties of secretly colluding with the authorities, and the state still exercises tight control over the country's political space.

Edited April 16, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

BAHRAIN

There was a peaceful protest of around 100 women today led by the hunger striker's daughter.

They chanted against the monarchy for about an hour before being dispersed by stun grenades from police.

There seems to be a lot of media in Bahrain now for the race, so the police have apparently let up on the massive ammounts of tear gas they've been unleashing constantly for the past year.

More info here:

https://twitter.com/#!/easonF1

Edited April 18, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fgw-sudan-20120420,0,2420371.story

Official: Sudan launches 4 attacks on South Sudan

JUBA, South Sudan - South Sudan repulsed four attacks from Sudan over a 24-hour period as fighting on the border showed no signs of slowing, a military official said Thursday.

In a further escalation of rhetoric, Sudan President Omar al-Bashir said South Sudan's recent military maneuvers have revived the spirit of "jihad" in Sudan. Despite the threats and hostilities, a government spokesman said South Sudan was only defending its territory and considers Sudan a "friendly nation."

Benjamin said that southern forces would withdraw from Heglig if the African Union guarantees a cessation of hostilities, an agreement on border demarcation, and the withdrawal of Sudanese forces from the nearby border region of Abyei, with Ethiopian troops moving in as peacekeepers.

Sudan President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday threatened to topple the South Sudan government after accusing the south of trying to take down his Khartoum-based government.

Al-Bashir continued his hardline rhetoric on Thursday in an address to a "popular defense" brigade headed to the Heglig area. The ceremony was held in al-Obeid, in northern Kordofan.

"Sudan will cut off the hand that harms it," said al-Bashir, a career army officer who fought against the southern army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army, during the 1983-2005 civil war. Al-Bashir seized power in a 1989 military coup.

[visionary]

The UN is trying to get Hadi and Saleh's family to agree to a handover of power and to ensure the transition goes forward in Yemen.

http://www.aljazeera.com/video/middleeast/2012/04/20124192105670392.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

UN to act as tension rises in Yemen

The country remains under the grip of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh.

[visionary]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gKPlsFw7GADHuPbUo7qy9ZzTyJvg?docId=8bc7a1805 e1746478f8cb216d41f7a05

Bahrain protesters rally ahead of F1 weekend

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Tens of thousands of anti-government protesters on Friday flooded a major highway in Bahrain demanding a halt to the Formula One race on its first day of practice runs, as the Gulf kingdom's crown prince vowed the country's premier prestige sporting event would go ahead.

Bahraini authorities stepped up security around the Formula One circuit after clashes between protesters and security forces intensified ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix race.

Last year, a wave of anti-government protests by the island's Shiite majority and a violent crackdown by the Sunni rulers forced organizers to cancel the 2011 Bahrain GP. At least 50 people have been killed since the start of Bahrain's uprising, inspired by other Arab Spring revolts, and violence continues to roil the island.

Friday's massive rally was organized by Shiite political blocs, including the main groups Al Wefaq and Al Waad. Protesters shouted slogans against the ruling Sunni dynasty, that is the main backer of the F1 race. The crown prince owns rights to the event.

"We demand democracy" and "Down, Down Hamad," opposition supporters chanted in reference to King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, as they massed on the main highway leading out of the capital, Manama, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the Formula One track.

Edited April 20, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terrorism-security/2012/0423/Amid-dispute-over-oil-Sudan-bombs-South-Sudanese-towns-video

Amid dispute over oil, Sudan bombs South Sudanese towns

Sudanese military planes reportedly bombed villages in South Sudan today, both escalating weeks of fighting on the border and ending hopes that Sudan would remove its troops from a contested region.

Initial reports indicate that the towns of Bentiu and Rubkona in South Sudan's Unity state were the targets of the bombardment. The bombing came on the heels of the pullout of South Sudanese forces from the oil-rich Heglig area at the center of recent fighting at the request of the United Nations.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/04/201242312474778727.html

Sudan's president rules out talks with South

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/04/20124231124916976.html

Bahrain court delays ruling in activists case

Hearing postponed one week amidst fears for one of the defendants, who has spent more than two months on hunger strike.

There were huge clashes in Bahrain today between protesters and police around the former site of the Pearl Memorial.

[visionary]

http://in.reuters.com/article/2012/04/25/libya-election-idINDEE83O09020120425

Libya bans religious, tribal or ethnic parties

Libya, preparing for elections in June, has banned political parties based on religion, tribe or ethnicity, a government spokesman said on Wednesday.

National Transitional Council spokesman Mohammed al-Harizy said the council passed the law governing the formation of political parties on Tuesday evening.

"Parties are not allowed to be based on religion or ethnicity or tribe," he told Reuters.

He did not make clear how this would affect a political party formed in March by Libya's Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. The new party is viewed as a leading contender in the June polls, the first since last year's overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in a NATO-backed uprising.

[visionary]

http://www.startribune.com/world/148861235.html?page=1&c=y

IRBIL, Iraq - The president of Iraq's self-rule Kurdish region demanded Wednesday that Shiite leaders agree on sharing power with their political opponents by September or else the Kurds could consider breaking away from Baghdad.

The warning by Kurdish President Massoud Barzani in an interview with The Associated Press underscores that Shiite domination in Iraq's government is reviving secession dreams that the now departed American military had tried to contain.

"What threatens the unity of Iraq is dictatorship and authoritarian rule," Barzani said in a 45-minute interview in his sprawling office outside of Irbil, the capital of the Kurdish region he leads in northern Iraq. "If Iraq heads toward a democratic state, then there will be no trouble. But if Iraq heads toward a dictatorial state, then we will not be able to live with dictatorship."

He called it a "very dangerous political crisis in the country" and said the impasse must be broken by September, when voters in the Kurdish region may consider a referendum for a state independent of Iraq.

Barzani also said he "wholeheartedly" supports Sunni desires to create their own self-rule regions in Iraq. Sunni lawmakers, whose Iraqiya political coalition won the most seats in 2010 parliamentary elections but were outmaneuvered by al-Maliki for the right to form the government, bitterly complain they have no say in Iraq's power structure.

---------- Post added April-26th-2012 at 12:43 AM ----------

https://twitter.com/#!/ReutersIndia

Pakistan Supreme Court finds Prime Minister guilty of contempt – TV channels

12:40 AM

https://twitter.com/#!/AJELive

Pakistan Prime Minister handed symbolic sentence for contempt of court conviction, will face no jail time. http://aje.me/Iao8cQ

12:51 AM

Edited April 26, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/templateC05.php?CID=3484

Jordanian Premier's Sudden Resignation Points to New Political Strategy

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/28/us-malaysia-protest-idUSBRE83R01F20120428

Thousands march on capital centre in Malaysia election protest

The protest, which organizers hope will draw 100,000 people, presents a delicate challenge for the government of Prime Minister Najib Razak, possibly affecting the timing of elections that he is preparing to call as early as June.

A violent response by police would risk alienating middle-class voters and handing the advantage to the opposition in what is shaping up as the closest election in Malaysia's history, possibly forcing Najib to delay the poll date.

But Najib must be mindful of conservatives within his own party who are wary that his moves to relax tough security laws and push limited election reforms could threaten their 55-year hold on power.

Last July's rally, more than 10,000-strong, ended in violence when police fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters, drawing criticism of a heavy-handed government response and sending Najib's popularity sliding. His approval rating has since rebounded to 69 percent, according to one poll.

[visionary]

http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-president-race-muslim-clerics-seek-voice-204947797.html;_ylt=Asll6KkPDGjmbcvnqmVh.5i1qHQA;_ylu=X3oDMTQ4dWJiaGJvBG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBXb3JsZFNGIE1pZGRsZUVhc3RTU0YEcGtnA2Q2ZTgyOGUxLTcwMTktMzdkYy05NzgxLWM5Mzk4YzM3MzA5YwRwb3MDMgRzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgMxOWI1M2M5MC05MGFmLTExZTEtYjVmZi04ZGRkYzVmMDk4YjA-;_ylg=X3oDMTFrM25vcXFyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnMEdGVzdAM-;_ylv=3

In Egypt president race, Muslim clerics seek voice

There are several organizations of Salafi clerics, each trying to decide which candidate to back. The main contenders for their endorsement are the two top Islamists — the Brotherhood candidate, Mohammed Morsi, and Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, a moderate who broke with the Brotherhood last year.

This week, one organization known as the Religious Legal Commission for Rights and Reform announced its backing for Morsi, after more than 30 hours of meetings with 10 candidates it invited for interviews. The panel went through a list of over 30 questions with each, topped by how the candidate intends to implement Islamic Shariah law, what his foreign policy will be and how he would deal with the clerics if elected.

When Morsi, for example, was asked what was the first country he would visit as president, he replied Saudi Arabia, the heartland of Salafi thought where many of Egypt's Salafi clerics studied.

In the interview with Abolfotoh — who is also popular among some liberal Egyptians — the commission's secretary-general Mohammed Yosri called him out on his liberal, leftist views.

"The question is, Where is the Islamist school that you belong to? And why do you fear appearing clearly as an Islamist?" Yosri asked.

"I am conservative religiously, not politically," Abolfotoh replied. "If you mean left as in concerned with social justice, then I am a leftist," he said, arguing that social justice and freedom of opinion are part of Islam.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/aprilweb-only/egypt-president-christians.html

What Egypt's Leading Islamist Presidential Candidate Thinks About Christians

Edited April 28, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/yemen/yemen-civilians-take-up-arms-to-fight-al-qaida-1.1014675

Yemen civilians take up arms to fight Al Qaida

Sana'a: Civilians who took up arms in southern Yemen have succeeded in thwarting Al Qaida's bid to occupy more cities in the south, a local fighter from the town of Lowder told Gulf News.

Early this month, Al Qaida militants launched an offensive on Lowder, a small town in the volatile province of Abyan. The militants faced unprecedented resistance not only from the troops but from the local people.

"We took up arms to defend our families, property and the town against Al Qaida," said a man who prefers to be known as Al Dalie.

"We have learnt lessons from places that were controlled by Al Qaida. People were driven out of their homes and cities were destroyed. We are fighting because we don't want to end up in that miserable situation."

Al Dalie said the people in Lowder decided to fight Al Qaida when they killed a local figure who was campaigning against the extremists.

"The honeymoon ended when we announced that Al Qaida should immediately leave the town. We expelled them and arrested those who refused to go. In retaliation, Al Qaida assassinated our leader and claimed responsibility for his death."

In a couple of weeks, those fighters managed to drum up support and thwarted an attack.

"Our fighters are from a mixture [of] Herak [members of the pro-autonomy Southern Movement], Salafists and members of the Islamist Islah party. We are unified under one goal which is defending our town from Al Qaida."

Edited April 28, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2012/04/20124286221449574.html

Police violence marks Malaysia reform rally

Malaysian riot police have fired tear gas and used water cannon on a crowd of demonstrators who staged one of the country's largest street rallies in years, demanding fair rules for national elections expected soon.

At least 25,000 demonstrators swamped Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, hoping to pressure Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition - which has held power for nearly 55 years - to overhaul electoral policies before polls that could be held as early as June.

Malaysian police said in a statement that 222 people were arrested. Lawyers said most were expected to be released soon after having their details recorded, but it was not immediately clear if they would be charged later with any offense.

Officials said three demonstrators and 20 police were injured.

EGYPT

http://blogs.aljazeera.net/liveblog/Egypt

32 min 35 sec ago

An influential Egyptian hardline Islamist movement, the Salafi Call, will back moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh for president, a founding member of the movement told Reuters on Saturday, dealing a blow to the Muslim Brotherhood's chances.

"The Salafi Call has decided by majority vote to back Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh in the presidential elections," Yasser Borhamy, the senior founding member of the movement, said.

"The Nour Party, the political wing of the Salafi Call, has also voted to back Abol Fotouh," he added.

The Nour Party came second to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt's parliamentary elections.

[visionary]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/29/world/middleeast/conservatives-in-egypt-back-liberal-to-oppose-brotherhood.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Support From Islamists for Liberal Upends Race in Egypt

ABU HOMOS, Egypt — Egypt’s most conservative Islamists endorsed a liberal Islamist for president late Saturday night, upending the political landscape and confounding expectations about the internal dynamics of the Islamist movement.

[visionary]

http://www.daralhayat.com/portalarticlendah/390509

Kaka Wants to Secede

Sat, 28 April 2012

Mostafa Zein

The two leaders, Kaka Massoud (Barzani) and Mam Jalal (Talabani), do not disagree over the goal of seceding from Iraq and declaring the independence of the Kurdish state. But they do disagree over the timing and over dividing Northern Iraq.

Barzani considers that the situation in the Middle East is suitable for escalation in the face of the government in Baghdad. He threatened once from Washington, several times from Erbil, and escalated his threat from Turkey after meeting with Erdoğan and Davutoğlu. He escalated in the face of Baghdad, after his gift to Ankara of a stance it has for decades been waiting for, in which he advised the fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK – Partiya Karkerên Kurdistan), who occupy positions in the mountains of the autonomous province, to put a stop to their military operations and turn to dialogue with the government of the Justice and Development Party (AKP – Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi).

Kaka replied to his partner Mam Jalal, who does not consider the timing to be appropriate for declaring the independence of the state, saying: “I am willing to spill my blood for independence, but I am not willing to spill it for autonomy”.

There are in Iraqi political circles two opinions concerning Kurdistan province: the first considers that Baghdad should make a bold move and give the Kurds complete independence, while keeping Kirkuk, in order to shed this heavy historical burden; the second clings to the federal formula because regional circumstances do not allow this at the moment – i.e. because timing, once again, is the most important factor. In other words, the Arabs, with their sects, and the Kurds, with their tribes, see no possibility of maintaining the formula of the one state, whether federal or centralized, and are waiting for the right circumstances for secession....

Edited April 30, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/40475.aspx

Egypt's Wasat Party endorses Abul-Fotouh presidential bid

Al-Wasat Party decided on Sunday to endorse the presidential bid of Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh.

The decision was unveiled after 63 % of the members of the moderate islamist party voted for the former Muslim Brotherhood leader, while 23 % voted for Islamic intellectual and judicial expert Selim El-Awa, according to a party press release.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/04/2012428911663446.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh: Egypt's future

One of the leading candidates in Egypt's presidential elections shares his views on religion and foreign policy.

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/05/2012514022453752.html?utm_content=automate&utm_campaign=Trial6&utm_source=NewSocialFlow&utm_term=plustweets&utm_medium=MasterAccount

Mali's military leaders 'repel counter coup'

Mali's ruling military leaders have said in a message aired over state television said that they are in control of the state broadcaster building, the airport, and the military base in Kati near the capital Bamako after a counter-coup attempt.

"Elements from abroad, supported by some obscure forces within the country, carried out these attacks. Some of them have been arrested," a military officer said in a television message on Tuesday.

Earlier, the military issued a scrolling message over state television pictures saying it remained in control of key sites in the Bamako.

Bakary Doucoure, who was near the broadcaster's main offices, told the Reuters news agency that gun and heavy weapons fire continued near the building and ambulances were at the scene..

Three people have been killed since fighting broke out in Mali's capital on Monday, with troops who took part in last month's military coup and the guard of the newly installed president exchanging shots, witnesses said.

The shooting in central Bamako followed an attempt by junta loyalists to arrest a member of the presidential guard, witnesses said.

The guardsmen have voiced anger over the arrest of the former army chief by soldiers who took part in the coup that toppled former president Amadou Toumani Toure weeks before an election.

[visionary]

EGYPT: Protest at Ministry Of Defense, Turns Bloody

https://twitter.com/#!/Psypherize

The MOD sit-in is under heavy attack, lots of buckshots and molotov ****tail being fired.

7:51 PM

At the MOD. Gunshots. Injuries. We are at the front. Time to throw rocks.

8:38 PM

We need more people here. We are being pushed back. More live gunfire.

8:43 PM

We are controlling the area around Masjid el-Noor again. They are in the side streets now.

8:52 PM

Holy **** people got shot and fell down. I could hear the sound of the bullets piercing the air.

9:02 PM

One guy is bleeding like hell.

9:03 PM

A trail of blood almost a hundred meters long.

9:04 PM

Lots of machine gunfire and we are still running towards them.

9:06 PM

Some protesters drenched in the blood of others and crying and praying for God.

9:10 PM

https://twitter.com/#!/iyad_elbaghdadi

Activists describe blood in the streets, injured protesters with their guts sticking out. This is horrible.

9:06 PM

Several activists confirming that the thug attacks are organized & led by a police captain in plain clothes.

9:08 PM

This is a massacre.

9:10 PM

Chants: "The people demand the execution of the Field Marshal".

9:23 PM

This makes it clear. SCAF goes first and then we talk.

9:25 PM

Edited May 2, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/2012527225578247.html

Egypt deploys army to quell deadly clashes

Clashes have erupted between assailants and supporters of Egypt's Islamist political parties who had gathered near the defence ministry in Cairo, leaving 11 people dead and nearly 50 wounded, security and hospital officials said.

The violence on Wednesday is the latest episode in more than a year of turmoil in Egypt following the toppling of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak and will likely fuel more tensions just three weeks ahead of presidential elections.

The military generals who took over from Mubarak in February last year have promised to hand over power to a civilian administration by July 1, but that has not stopped rallies demanding the generals leave immediately.

The security officials said the clashes broke out at dawn when the assailants set upon several hundred protesters who had camped out in the area since early Saturday to press their demand for the military to go.

Hospital officials said nine of the 11 died of gunshot wounds to the head while two people were stabbed to death. The health ministry only confirmed nine were killed and 49 were injured.

https://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews

Update: Death toll rises to at least 20 in attack on protest near Egyptian Ministry of Defense - @BBCWorld http://bbc.in/IGT7LI

11:59 AM

https://twitter.com/#!/BreakingNews

UN approves resolution threatening sanctions if Sudan and South Sudan don't halt violence - @AP

11:11 AM

The two countries have 48 hours to cease hostilities.

https://twitter.com/#!/ZeinakhodrAljaz

HRW : UN resolution on Sudan - SouthSudan conflict doesn't do justice to people of South Kordofan and Blue Nile

12:47 PM

HRW: People in Sudan states of South Kordofan & Blue Nile have been starved, terrified & forced to live in caves due to army bombardments

12:48 PM

HRW: UN Security Council should have demanded immediate access for humanitarian organizations to South Kordofan and Blue Nile, Sudan

12:48 PM

Edited May 2, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2012/05/20125402632726745.html

Rival Sudans agree to AU roadmap

Sudan has endorsed the African Union's (AU) roadmap to avert an all-out war with South Sudan, though it insisted on retaining the right to self-defence.

Earlier on Thursday, South Sudan said it had accepted the AU's seven-point roadmap that called for a cessation of hostilities.

Based on the seven-point roadmap, the two countries have until next Tuesday to restart stalled negotiations and three months to reach an agreement.

The AU is trying to get the two sides to again negotiate the countries' shared border, citizenship matters and oil revenue sharing.

The UN Security Council on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution threatening Khartoum and Juba with sanctions if they failed to silence the guns and resume talks within two weeks, endorsing the AU's deadline of May 8.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday accepting the AU plan as well as the UN resolution. But with its reference to self-defense, the Sudanese statement also implied possible continued conflict.

[visionary]

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/05/20125462256804922.html

Clashes erupt at mass rally in Cairo

Egyptian armed forces and protesters have clashed in Cairo, with troops using water cannon and rocks to disperse demonstrators trying to reach the defence ministry.

Hundreds of troops guarding the ministry surged forward on Friday when protesters began cutting through barbed wire used to seal off the ministry building in the capital's central Abbasiya neighbourhood.

https://twitter.com/#!/petersbeaumont

... could see soldiers coming out of MoD entrance throwing stones, firing gas. 15 mins later as moved back heard first shots

1:21 PM

At one stage soldiers flanked fleeing protesters trying to reach tahrir. Could here shots behind and in front of us.

1:22 PM

Also thugs on some of bridges over road throwing fireworks stones even gas. Where did they get gas?

1:22 PM

but there were a lot of goons out and with the MPs so looked as tho thugs and army def working together at one point....

1:30 PM

Edited May 4, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/05/08/uk-sudan-rebels-idUKBRE8471C320120508

Sudan rebels say take town in Darfur in new push

Rebels in Sudan's western Darfur region said on Tuesday they had seized control of a town from Sudanese government troops, part of their campaign to topple President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government.

"Our forces entered Girayda, south of Nyala, and took over the garrison completely," Abdullah Mursal, spokesman for the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) faction led by Minni Minnawi, said.

"We want to bring the downfall of the regime. And to do that we have to take over cities before we reach Khartoum," he added.

Edited May 9, 2012 by visionary

[visionary]

The debate for the Egyptian Presidential Election is about to start...at some point soon.

At the moment everyone is making fun of the pre-debate fluff. lol

check out the comments and live tweeting of the event:

https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23monazarat

https://twitter.com/#!/Bassem_Sabry

Presidential Debate begins in about 30 minutes.

#Egypt #Monazarat

1:46 PM

Each candidate to begin by 2 minute intro, decided by toss, 24 questions asked, 2 minutes to answer each, 2 minute summation -

#Monazarat

1:57 PM

The random paper draw deciding order of everything in the debate were done by a child, almost 5-7 years old, shown now on TV -

#Monazarat

2:01 PM

https://twitter.com/#!/abuhatem

They are discussing the Nixon-Kennedy elections and the history of presidential debates on TV.

#Egypt #Monazarat

2:10 PM

https://twitter.com/#!/MaiE_89

Aboul Futtoh is apparently stuck in traffic, something that no one, not even presidential candidates, can avoid

https://twitter.com/#!/iyad_elbaghdadi

Abulfutouh & team pre-debate: http://bit.ly/ITp2JY

3:01 PM

Amr Moussa & team pre-debate: http://bit.ly/IMcRuH

3:02 PM

live broadcasts

http://www.justin.tv/captain_america1#/w/3057062688

http://www.livestream.com/ontveg

Edited May 10, 2012 by visionary