a peace of conflict

Hello all! Hope everything is well with you!

My internet has been intermittent due to escalating fighting within Abidjan this week, where I am currently living. Due to this, I may have difficulty posting and searching out stories for This Week in Conflict in upcoming weeks.

As always, just a reminder that if you have any information about conflicts (or efforts towards peace) happening each week, I would love your feedback and inclusions. As the weekly conflict update is done on a volunteer basis, I cannot independently verify all reported stories. Therefore my scope is limited to what is found in outside news sources. If you disagree with any of the information provided, or have any stories to submit, please use the comments below or email me to let me know! I will happily retract inaccurate information or provide alternative reports when necessary.

Peace!
Rebecca

World

• The World Food Programme estimates that every 10% increase in the cost of food adds an extra US$200 million to their budget for purchasing food commodities, and that since November, their costs have risen by some 14%. Should the prices continue to rise, the WFP would be forced to reduce rations, decrease beneficiaries or seek additional resources.
• A new communications aid program for natural disasters, called JamiiX, is being touted as the next Ushahidi. Developed in South Africa, JamiiX is a messaging management system to be used to provide information and advice for citizens during national disasters.
• The UN Under-Secretary General for Peacekeeping announced this week that too many of their missions lack critical assets necessary to properly fulfill their mandates, calling on Member States to provide military helicopter units that are in short supply. They predict a shortfall of 56 out of a required 137 helicopters for missions particularly in Sudan, Darfur and the DRC.

Africa

• Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir, who has been in power for the past 22 years, has reportedly decided not to stand for re-election in 2015 in order to broaden democracy. North Sudan has asserted its claim to the Abyei region, stating it is “northern and will remain northern” and accusing the south of intransigence over the issue. Juba has been chosen as the venue for the declaration and celebrations of independence for the south in July of this year. Armed south Sudanese police are said to have raided an independent newspaper on Tuesday, raising fears of a media crackdown ahead of independence. The New York Times revealed that over the course of training as many as 100 Southern Sudan police recruits died from severe punishment and harsh conditions, including torture and sexual assault, prompting the UN to investigate. Hundreds gathered in East Khartoum on Thursday blocking the main roads for nine hours to protest removing traffic lights and turning the street into a highway, claiming that over 200 people weer killed in road accidents over the last two months and throwing stones at riot police who surrounded the demonstration. . A female activist claimed she was raped by three members of Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), kidnapped nearly two weeks after she participated in anti-government protests.
• Fighting in Somaliland killed upwards of 50 people on Sunday, prompting Puntland’s President to announce that his government would “not remain on the sidelines” if the violence continued.  A suicide bomb attack targeting a police station in Mogadishu, Somalia, killed more than 10 people on Monday. Fighting continued between the Somali Transitional Federal Government forces supported by AU peacekeepers and al-Shabaab, killing at least 25 civilians and injuring at least 80. On Wednesday, Somali and AU troops are said to have seized three rebel bases in Mogadishu in a new offensive against al-Shabaab, concerning the UN who voiced alarm over civilians caught in the fighting. The interim President rejected Parliamentarians’ decision to extend their mandate to three more years, three weeks after they had unanimously extended the term.
• Hundreds took to the streets in Nouakchott, Mauritania on Friday, calling for better living conditions and more jobs. The PM announced that the government will create thousands of new jobs, develop infrastructure and boost local food production capacity before the rally.
• A journalist covering the Presidential and parliamentary elections in Uganda was said to be shot and seriously injured by a body guard of the Minister for the Presidency at a polling station on Friday, in an election that the opposition said was tainted with fraud. On Sunday, the electoral commission announced that President Museveni won another five year term winning an apparent 68.38% of the votes, after ruling for 25 years. The result excluded tallies from 117 polling stations that had yet to be received by the commission, who declared the incomplete results to beat the 48 hour constitutional deadline. The Commonwealth observer mission described the polls as largely peaceful, with vote tallying done with relative transparency, but decried widespread incidents of voter bribery, missing voter names on the register and late arrival of voting materials. Challenger Besigye rejected the results, calling the election fraudulent and has threatened Egypt-style protests in the past. The US was quick to congratulate Museveni on his win, despite the claims of fraud and his 25 year leadership role, in stark contrast to their recent cries for democracy in other African nations. On Thursday, mayoral elections in Kampala were canceled because of reported cases of severe malpractice, with some ballot boxes already full by 9 am and at least 34 were injured and 100 arrested.
• President Kibaki of Kenya has withdrawn four nominations (for chief justice, attorney general, director of public prosecutions and controller of budget) that threatened to split the country’s fragile power-sharing government. On Tuesday, the President said he invited the PM for further consultations, as required by the new constitution. The Kenya Red Cross Society in Mandera came under fire during heavy fighting on the Somali and Ethiopian borders.
• Protests continued in Libya this week, with up to 400 feared dead over the weekend alone. Security forces and mercenaries were said to be shooting into crowds “without discrimination”, and snipers targeted protesters from rooftops. The protests were largely covered by citizens, as the international media lacked access. On Sunday, Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, went on state TV to address the uprisings, citing the mass media as exaggerating the situation, and warning the people that their actions would result in civil war. He also promised a programme of reforms and acknowledged that the police and army made mistakes in dealing with the protesters. On Monday, it was rumoured that Muammar Gaddafi had fled the capital after angry anti-government protesters breached the state television building and Parliament, setting both on fire and army units were said to have defected to the opposition. The justice minister and interior ministers are said to have resigned over the “excessive use of violence” against protesters, while Libya’s UN ambassadors are said to have called for Gaddafi to step down as the country’s ruler. Two air force jets are also said to have landed in Malta, their pilots asking for political asylum; and a military ship off the coast was also thought to soon be defecting, while diplomats are resigning en mass. The security forces are said to have besieged parts of the capital using helicopters and warplanes to fire upon protesters. Egypt’s army claimed that the Libyan border guards had withdrawn from their posts on Monday, leaving control in the hands of people’s committees. On Tuesday, Qaddafi made a TV address to challenge rumours that he had fled the country, vowing to “fight to the last drop of blood”, cleansing “Libya house by house” if protesters don’t surrender, and citing that those who challenged his government “deserved to die”, as clashes intensified within the capital. Many residents believed that massacres had taken place overnight. Time magazine reported that Gaddafi had ordered his security forces to sabotage the country’s oil facilities to send the message: It’s either me or chaos. The first foreign news organization visited Benghazi on Wednesday, and described the city as being in the hands of the anti-government demonstrators who flew monarchy-era flags from government buildings and celebrated in the streets, amid defecting troops who poured into the courtyard of a ransacked police station.  By Wednesday, reports were indicating that Qaddafi was losing his grip on the capital Tripoli, with thousands of soldiers deployed to the town of Sabratha only 50 miles to the west. The Department of Defense and Military Veterans in South Africa stopped short of denying the sale of South African arms to Libyan forces, saying that they were unaware of any sale. A Libyan Arab Airlines aircraft, suspected of carrying Gaddafi’s daughter (who vehemently denied this claim), was refused permission to land in Malta and turned back to Libya, while governments around the world scrambled to send planes and ships to evacuate their own citizens from the country. On Thursday, it was reported that Benghazi was being run by a makeshift organizing committee of judges, lawyers and other professionals who sent out young people to help restore basic order. Thousands of mercenary and other forces tried to fend off the uprising that was circling in around Tripoli, while Qaddafi blamed the revolt on “hallucinogenic” drugs and Osama bin Laden. The British government contacted several senior Libyan figures directly to persuade them to desert Gaddafi or face crimes against humanity charges. On Friday, the residents of Benghazi began a search among the ransacked military base for the throngs of missing persons, while mercenaries and army forces resisted attempts at protest in Tripoli, opening fire on crowds. Human Rights Watch warned members and commanders of the Libyan security forces that they can be punished under international law for the unlawful use of force or firearms against protesters, regardless of rank, also citing widespread reports of security forces inside hospitals.
• Algerian police clashed with hundreds of opposition supporters over the weekend. Train services are reported to be shut down completely, and road blocks have been set up on the highways linked to the capital. The cabinet adopted an order to lift the 19-year-old state of emergency on Wednesday, but protesters said the measure did not go far enough.
• Security forces in Madagascar fired teargas to disperse crowds of supporters of exiled leader Ravalomanana who camped out near the capital’s airport on Saturday, expecting his return. The government is said to have blocked Ravalomanana’s departure from his exile in South Africa.
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Nigeria confirmed that it would discard the N40 billion Direct Data Capture (DDC) machines in the upcoming election, causing rage among opposition political parties. The army is said to have discovered several high profile arms, including machine guns, RPGs, an anti-aircraft launcher, explosives and hand grenades, concealed in an abandoned car on Saturday. Three unknown gunmen were killed on the same road in a gun battle after attacking a detachment of the military in the area. On Tuesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared 20 candidates to contest the April 9, 2011 Presidential election; and the campaign office of the Labour Party candidate experienced several explosions suspected to be dynamite. At least twelve people were killed in an attack in Plateau early on Tuesday, by unknown assailants, while the military blamed the villagers for not contacting the forces on time to help. On Wednesday, five powerful ruling party state governors won a court ruling that could prevent them from having to stand for re-election in April after they argued their states should be exempted because they had not yet completed full four year terms.
• Around 50 people were arrested at a meeting to discuss the North African uprisings in Zimbabwe on Sunday on charges of “subverting the government” and “conspiring against the state”. The Defense Minister warned last week that any attempt to emulate the events in Egypt would be crushed. By Thursday, 46 of those arrested were charged with treason, some allegedly beaten by police.
• Three leading opposition politicians were detained in Djibouti on Saturday, in an apparent move to quash opposition protests triggered from the wave of political unrest across North Africa. Anti-government protesters clashed with riot police who used teargas to disperse crowds who demanded the President step down.
• Protesters in Morocco reportedly attacked a police station and several French firms in Tangiers late on Friday in a dispute over the local utility firm’s management. Riot police intervened to break up the protest, after a peaceful sit-in in front of city hall turned into a march that gathered into hundreds of protesters. Several thousand people marched in fourteen Moroccan cities on Sunday, demanding political reform and limits on the power of the King. The demonstrations were largely reported as peaceful, though five people were said to have been burned to death inside a bank on Sunday, more than 100 people were reported wounded and some 120 arrested.
• Thousands of demonstrators in Tunisia gathered in downtown Tunis on Sunday to call for the replacement of the interim government, despite a ban on rallies. Security forces are said to have watched, but not intervened in the protests. The interim government asked Saudi Arabia to extradite deposed President Ben Ali and inquired into his health situation, following reports that he had fallen into a stress-induced coma. The Interior Minister called for the Tunis Court of First Instance to dissolve the former ruling party, the Constitutional Democratic Rally on Monday. On Friday, the transitional government said it would hold elections by mid-July at the latest while tens of thousands of protesters rallied calling for the PM’s resignation.
• State television in Egypt announced the release of 108 political prisoners on Sunday, following a pledge by the PM. The PM was quoted as saying that 222 prisoners would soon be freed and that 487 political prisoners remained, though rights groups say thousands were detained without charge under the emergency laws and that many of them might be classified as political prisoners. The military and civilian leadership currently in charge took several high-profile steps on Monday to reassure the population that the move to full civilian rule would be rapid, including requesting governments to freeze Mubarak’s assets. On Tuesday, the military rulers swore in 11 new Cabinet ministers, with three former members of the Mubarak regime retaining their posts. On Wednesday, former Egyptian police officers protesting outside the interior ministry in Cairo were said to set fire to an adjacent administration building, injuring some four protesters. Thousands gathered in Tahrir Square on Friday to celebrate one month since the protests that forced Mubarak to resign.
• Some 50 human rights groups within the DR Congo have signed a communique to publicize their concerns of growing violence and intimidation against them used to undermine their work. Many cite that they have received death threats from government officials. A military court investigating the case of New Year’s mass rape in Fizi, has sentenced Lt. Col. Kibibi Mutware to 20 years in jail after being found guilty of crimes against humanity. Community leaders are now trying to persuade Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) fighters to abandon the group and return home using radio programmes and posters pinned to trees. More than 40 people– men, women and children, were raped over the last two weeks near Fizi in an eastern area mostly inaccessible to aid organizations or UN peacekeepers. All UN Formed Police Units (FPU) deployed in missions are now required to undergo in-country mobile techniques training to better adapt their operational capacity to the reality on the ground.
• Three soldiers in Senegal were killed and six wounded over the weekend by suspected separatist rebels in the southern Casamance region, after they attacked an army observation post. Rebels have been waging a low-level insurgency since the early 80s. The government announced it was cutting diplomatic ties with Iran over alleged Iranian weapon supplies to the rebels suspected of killing the soldiers. Gambia has also cut ties with Iran over the arms shipment.
• The situation in Cote d’Ivoire has deteriorated this week, with rebels and government forces fighting across the country,  several reports painting the situation as government forces firing on unarmed protesters. Curfews and roadblocks halted most of the attempted protests before they even began, though there were reports of security forces firing live rounds to disperse protesters who had set up barricades and were burning tires. By Wednesday, however, the media was reporting the loss of at least 10 army soldiers, who were killed by rebel forces, locally being described as “invisible” commandos who were impervious to government bullets through mystical powers.  The northern Abobo district of Abidjan was overtaken by these commandos by mid-week, giving them control of the highway’s access to the north rebel-strong area. The FDS security forces cordoned off the district and are said to have suffered an ambush by the commandos. At least two other districts within the city experienced fighting as well with buses and gbakas (minibuses) burned down by opposing groups, as the commandos calling themselves “Mouvement de libération des populations d’Abobo-Anyama” vowed to move into the Koumassi, Yopougon and Adjame districts of Abidjan. The financial system is in collapse, following last week’s bank closures and the population is finding it difficult to secure any money. The five African mediators were due to meet in Mauritania on Sunday, before arriving in country to give propositions to the two Presidential camps, though Burkina Faso’s Compaore decided not to make the trip due to “security reasons” as more than 1,000 Gbagbo supporters are said to have gathered at the airport to oppose Compaore, accusing him of being against Gbagbo. Angry pro-Ouattara youths are said to have mobbed South African President Zuma during his visit as well, accusing him of siding with Gbagbo.  On Tuesday, Ouattara extended the ban on cocoa and coffee for another month, even though the current ban is having devastating effects on the population, amid continued protests by cocoa growers.  On Wednesday, Amnesty International reported on the extensive human rights abuses being committed by both the government forces and the Forces Nouvelles rebel group around the country. Kenyan PM Odinga announced on Wednesday that ECOWAS is holding planning meetings to remove Gbagbo and will use force if the sanctions don’t result in a change of regime, but did not say when force would be used. The Gbagbo government confirmed on Friday that the western town of Zouan-Hounien had fallen to the rebels, while fighting raged on in other parts of the country. Human Rights Watch suggested that both sides were recruiting young men and re-mobilizing others for fighting within Abidjan, and the notorious Ble Goude called on the Young Patriots to set up “self-defense” units to protect themselves from the rebels. Groups of menacing looking thugs barricaded off different sections of the city, making travel more difficult than normal.
• Four people were killed in clashes between police and demonstrators in Koudougou, Burkina Faso this week, with demonstrations started over the death of a jailed student who the government claimed died of meningitis. Fellow students say he died because he had been mistreated.

Asia

• A US drone attack is said to have killed seven alleged militants near the Afghan border in Pakistan on Sunday night. Many in Karachi took to the streets on Sunday calling for the execution of US consulate employee Raymond Davis who has been jailed for killing two Pakistanis. Pakistani troops are reported to have killed up to 15 suspected militants in the northwestern region along the Afghan border after 100 militants attacked a security checkpoint with heavy weapons, triggering a clash that continued for several hours. On Tuesday, a roadside bomb hit a paramilitary vehicle in the southwest, wounding four soldiers; and an explosion wounded five people in a market in Peshawar. On Wednesday, Pakistani troops bombed and destroyed two alleged militant hideouts, killing 8 insurgents in the northwest region. On Thursday, suspected American drone missiles hit a house and a car in North Waziristan, killing at least six people. On Friday, at least four people were reported killed in an attack in northwestern Pakistan after militants targeted at least 11 NATO fuel tankers; and Pakistani authorities arrested a US government security contractor, with Pakistani intelligence calling on the Americans to “come clean” about its network of covert operatives in the country. Raymond Davis’ murder trial also began on Friday. 
• Seven soldiers were killed on Sunday in Azerbaijan after a soldier allegedly opened fire on his fellow servicemen. A similar attack occurred in January of last year after two soldiers opened fire on a group of officers. The President dismissed and demoted a military commander following the deaths.
• Thailand‘s anti-government “red shirts” have announced they will respect the result of an upcoming election, providing the polls are fair and that they see no reason to stage protracted protests. On Tuesday, some of the leaders of the group were released from jail. The group says it will still hold regular, brief and peaceful rallies to call for the release of more than 100 still jailed supporters and to demand a comprehensive, transparent investigation into the deaths of demonstrators.
• North Korea is reportedly digging tunnels at a site where it has launched two nuclear tests in the past, suggesting it is preparing for a third. On Sunday, the South Korean President renewed calls for dialogue between the two countries, though military talks broke down earlier this month.
• Gunmen and suicide bombers dressed as border police killed at least 18 people and wounded more than 70 in an attack on a bank in Jalalabad, Afghanistan on Saturday; and an ISAF service member was killed in an insurgent attack in Kabul. On Sunday, ISAF forces are said to have killed six family members in an air strike that also killed three suspected militants in eastern Afghanistan, and have announced that they will investigate the accidental deaths. Karzai was furious at the attack and spoke out to strongly condemned recent raids that are said to have killed some 50 people on Friday alone, mostly women and children, while NATO claimed it would probe the incidents.  Also on Sunday, a French solider was killed in an insurgent attack northeast of Kabul; a German soldier succumbed to his injuries and died after a person wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire on ISAF troops from Friday; and two civilians and one policeman were killed and two wounded in a roadside bomb attack in Herat. A suicide attack in a northern government office killed at least 31 people and injured 42 others on Monday. On Thursday, at least 24 people were wounded when a suicide bomb detonated in a busy market in Kandahar. The US is said to have entered into direct talks with Taliban leaders, but contacts are exploratory and not yet a peace negotiation.
• Authorities in China quashed online calls for a “jasmine revolution”, and quickly dispersed small crowds in Beijing and Shanghai apparently attempting to spark an uprising similar to those in the Middle East and North Africa. Dozens of activists are said to have been detained, mass text messages were jammed and specific searches were blocked. On Wednesday, human rights campaigners announced that they feared for six high-profile activists and lawyers, as they remain unaccounted for after they were seized on Sunday. On Thursday, the family of a Sichuan writer and scholar Ran Yunfei was reportedly notified that Ran had been officially charged with subversion. Police had also detained a dissident for “incitement of subversion” in a bid to crack down on dissent in the face of calls to emulate Middle East protests. On Friday, authorities announced that they had dropped the death penalty for more than a dozen non-violent crimes and banned capital punishment for offenders over the age of 75. The country executes more people every year than any other country. Organizers of the “Jasmine Revolution” have called for protests in 23 cities on Sunday, prompting authorities to block the networking site LinkedIn.
• The President of Kyrgyzstan said this week that she does not intend to run in the next Presidential election scheduled for later this year. President Otunbaeva was named transitional President following the ouster of incumbent Bakiev after anti-government demonstrations in April. A journalist was severely beaten and hospitalized in Bishkek after the attack by several men near her house.
• President Rahmon of Tajikistan has replaced the head of the Central Election Commission and two of his deputies as well as a forth commission member “in connection with their transfer to other posts”. The replacements come amid rumours that Rahmon may be considering holding a nationwide referendum that would restructure his powers and needs an energetic and competent team to “prove the legality” of the proposed changes. Some 30 women staged a protest outside the Presidential palace against the unannounced demolition of their homes.
• Philippine security forces and Maoist guerrillas both accused each other of violating a ceasefire ahead of peace talks on Monday. The two sides have held closed door negotiations that started again on February 15th, the first in more than six years. The two parties agreed to an 18-month timetable for formal peace talks.
• The military rulers in Myanmar/Burma appear to be taking a harder line toward pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her party. The government demanded over the weekend, through the state controlled media, that the party apologize for acting against what it said were the interests of the nation.
• A MP in Bangladesh who has been behind bars for more than two months has alleged that he was detained and tortured by a paramilitary unit trained by the British government in a letter from prison. Amnesty International said it considered the allegations credible and has called upon the Bangladeshi government to investigate.
• The UN said it will extend its peacekeeping mandate in East Timor for another year on Thursday, saying the country needs to take action to strengthen the “credibility” of its police force. The UN wants to end their mission, but is wary of the fallout from the 2006 unrest that led to its creation.

Americas

• The US will be cutting off all funding to the UN climate science panel under sweeping Republican budget cuts that seek to gut spending on environmental protection. The budget cuts set on Saturday are said to be extreme, setting the stage for a confrontation between Democrats and Republicans. At least 55,000 demonstrators took to the streets in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday over union rights and taxes that are being discussed in new legislation, with protests continuing during the week.  Boeing aerospace firm has won a $30 billion contract for 179 new US air force mid-air refueling aircraft to replace 50-year-old Boeing-manufactured KC-135 Stratotankers to be delivered by 2017, beating out the European Aeronautic Defence and Space (EADS) company and casting doubt over the fairness of the contract award procedure. Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates told an audience of West Point cadets on Friday that it would be unwise for the US to ever again fight another war like Iraq or Afghanistan, saying that any future defense secretary who “advise the president to again send a big American land army… should have his head examined”.
• A majority of students of the main campus of the University of Puerto Rico are reported to have voted in favour of ending their strike for one month, but declared a one day walk out on Wednesday. Some students are said to have barricaded the entrances of the campus to prevent others from trying to enter.
• Protesting students ended a three-week hunger strike on Tuesday in Venezuela, saying they stopped because the Organization of American States is discussing their allegations of human rights abuses by their government. Venezuelan authorities are also said to have agreed to review the cases of people considered “political prisoners” by protesters.
• Gunmen opened fire on six children playing in the yard of a home in the border city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico on Wednesday, killing three young girls. The state prosecutors’ office said that the gunmen were apparently targeting the father of two of the dead girls in a dispute that may have involved low-level drug dealing.

Middle East

• Bahrain’s opposition group rejected an offer of national dialogue to end days of unrest on Saturday until certain conditions, including a demand for the PM to resign, the release of political prisoners and an investigation into the deaths of protesters, were met. The crown prince is said to have ordered the withdrawal of all military from the streets, leaving law and order to the police force, who subsequently attacked anti-government protesters. On Sunday, protesters reoccupied the capital city’s main square and vowed not to enter into talks until a list of demands were met. On Monday, some 10,000 demonstrators packed into Pearl Square, joined by some 1,500 striking teachers demanding a true constitutional monarchy that gives citizens a greater role in a directly elected government. On Tuesday, tens of thousands of supporters of the Shi’ite led opposition poured into the capital in the largest rally since protests first began last week. On Wednesday, authorities said they had released 23 Shi’ite activists held on terrorism charges and pardoned two others living abroad.
• Iran‘s opposition is said to have begun renewed protests in Tehran and several other cities to fight against “religious dictatorship”. On Sunday, there were reports of clashes between protesters and security forces, and that many people were arrested, including the daughter of ex-President Rafsanjani. Many protested in silence in order to reduce the level of tension and violence, as security forces tended to confront protesters who were chanting, while foreign media were not provided with the required permits to cover the protests from the streets. Ironically, on Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad condemned state brutality against demonstrators in Libya and urged governments to listen to their people. On Tuesday, Suez Canal officials said that two Iranian naval vessels entered the strategic waterway en route for the Mediterranean Sea, the first time in three decades. Israel made it clear it views the passage as a provocation.
• The US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli settlements on Palestinian territory as “illegal”. All other 14 council members voted in favour of the resolution. On Wednesday, a rocket was said to have struck the southern Israeli city of Beersheba for the first time in two years, damaging a house, but causing no physical injury. Israel responded by carrying out an airstrike.  Israeli tank fire killed a suspected Palestinian militant and wounded another and two civilians in the Gaza Strip. Young Palestinians have organized a call for protests on March 15th, aimed at unifying Hamas and Fatah to fight their common enemy, Israel.
• Unrest continued in Yemen over the weekend, with some 3,000 university students gathering in the capital and thousands of others across the country, protesting to demand the President step down. The President has said that only defeat at the ballot box will make him quit. On Monday, security forces shot and killed one protester and wounded four others in Aden, as thousands continued to protest. Protests intensified on Tuesday, as at least two protesters were shot dead during a street battle between pro and anti-government demonstrators at the gates of Sana’a University. Seven (to nine) members of parliament resigned in protest on Wednesday against what they described as government violence against demonstrators. On Thursday, the state news agency said that the President had ordered his security forces to protect demonstrators who were trying to end his 32-year rule, and also instructed the forces to thwart all clashes and prevent direct confrontation between pro- and anti-government protesters. On Friday, tens of thousands of demonstrators massed in several cities, holding the largest demonstration thus far against corruption and oppression.
• Police in Kuwait fired teargas at hundreds of stateless Arabs demanding citizenship on Saturday, injuring around seven people. Many are descendants of desert nomads who are denied citizenship under strict nationality laws.
• Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in northern Iraq on Sunday, resulting in at least 48 injuries; gunmen are said to have raided and set fire to a television station in the city; and two civilians were killed and six wounded by a suicide car bomber north of Baghdad. On Monday, a suicide car bomb targeting a police building in Samarra killed at least 10 people, mostly police officers and wounded some 15. On Tuesday, thousands of people took part in anti-government protests in Sulaimaniya, under heavy security presence, with at least three deaths were reported; and two roadside bombs exploded near a police patrol in eastern Baghdad, wounding three policemen and two civilians. On Wednesday, the top Shi’ite religious leaders called for Iraqis to defer their Friday “day of rage” protests; a roadside bomb targeting an Iraqi army patrol exploded killing a soldier and wounding two others in eastern Mosul; attackers stormed the home of a man in central Baghdad, stabbing him to death; a bomb blew up and wounded four people including two soldiers in western Mosul; a roadside bomb went off in a market wounding ten in eastern Mosul; two roadside bombs went off separately, wounding five in Ramadi; and a police officer was wounded trying to defuse a roadside bomb in Shirqat. The Iraqi military claimed security forces had killed the top military leader of the Islamic State of Iraq, an Al-Qaeda linked group responsible for bombings and suicide attacks across the country on Thursday. On Friday, at least 10 were killed in clashes with Iraqi police as thousands protested against the government in many cities across the country. Thousands of mostly university students filled the central square in Kurdistan this week calling for change and reflecting long-festering anger with government corruption and partisan politics, with at least 4 people killed and scores wounded.
• Shi’ites in Saudi Arabia held a small protest in the eastern province on Saturday to demand the release of fellow Shi’ites held in prison without trial. The protesters are said to have stayed silent and avoiding holding up posters so as not to provoke authorities. Hundreds have so far backed a Facebook campaign calling for a “day of rage” across the country next month to demand an elected ruler, greater freedom for women and release of political prisoners.

Europe

• The North Caucasus experienced a wave of attacks as masked gunmen shot and killed three Muscovite tourists and injured two others traveling to a resort ski mountain on Friday, an explosion blew up several cabins without injury, and three more bombs were defused on Saturday. The attacks were thought to be likely orchestrated by Islamic militants who have been increasingly violent over the last two years. On Tuesday, police killed five suspected militants near the ski resort, thought to possibly be the bandits who shot the tourists.
• Georgia and South Ossetia have completed an exchange of detained prisoners, eight from South Ossetia who were arrested for minor crimes before and after the regions military conflict in August 2008, and eight Georgians arrested for “illegally crossing the border”. More exchanges are expected soon. Georgian police discovered three unexploded bombs outside a TV station in the capital on Wednesday, suspected to be planted by a gang of Georgian suspects run by a Russian military officer.
• An opposition leader warned Armenia‘s leadership to hold fresh elections or face similar unrest to the Arab states, during his largest rally since the bloody suppression of post-election protests in 2008. Some 10,000 people gathered in the city centre, while ongoing small anti-government protests continued around the country.
• Bosnia‘s state prosecutor charged former Bosnian Serb soldier, Vesselin “Batko” Vlahovic, on Saturday with murder, rape and intimidation of non-Serbs in the capital of Sarajevo during the 1992-5 war. The indictment is said to be the most extensive issued by the Bosnian war crimes court, detailing 56 counts of the most brutal war crimes and crimes against humanity.
• Kosovo‘s parliament re-elected Hashim Thaci to a second term as PM and businessman Behgjet Pacolli as President, despite recent international allegations linking Thaci to organ-trafficking and other heinous crimes. Pacolli was the only candidate running for President after his party aligned with Thaci’s party. The main opposition parties boycotted the Presidential vote.
• The British PM strongly defended the presence of UK arms companies accompanying his visit to the Middle East this week citing that Kuwait, one of the countries visited during the visit, had a level of democracy and that Britain has tough controls to prevent the equipment from being used on civilians.  This is the wake of a recent police crackdown in the country at an opposition gathering that was criticized by Human Rights Watch.
• Clashes broke out in Athens, Greece on Wednesday between young demonstrators and riot police during a mass rally against austerity measures. Police are said to have fired tear gas and flash grenades at protesters, blanketing part of the city in smoke.
• The Supreme Court in Belarus has suspended hearings into a lawsuit filed by a non-registered opposition party against the Justice Ministry. The opposition was fighting the Justice Ministry’s refusal to register their party.
• The ruling Irish Fianna Fail party appeared likely to be voted out of power on Friday in Ireland in the first vote since leaders negotiated a bailout deal with the EU and the IMF to rescue the country from budget deficit and economic collapse. As a result of the rescue deal, the country faces years of austerity measures to repay the bailout and must also deal with plummeting property values among other economic woes.

World

• The World Bank (WB) estimates that 44 million people have been pushed into poverty since last summer by soaring commodity prices. Food prices are said to have risen by almost 30% over the past year.
• The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) pledged to increase their cooperation with the UN this week, from stabilizing Afghanistan to boosting cyber security. The OSCE contains 56 States from the US, across Europe and Central Asia to the borders of China.
• A new academic paper finds that countries with IMF programmes failed to increase public health spending when receiving additional health aid, responding to a recent article in the Lancet that argued that routing health aid through NGOs rather than developing country governments might be more effective in increasing actual expenditure on health services. The IMF denounced the study as having serious methodological problems.
• A new Web-based database and research tool will expand what academic researchers, international human rights advocates, journalists, students and the public know about government repression. The Illustrative Information Interface allows anyone with Internet access to register his or her view of the scope and severity of government abuse for a particular geographic area from 1900 to the present.
• A new report published by Universities UK, suggests that vice-chancellors should reject demands to ban controversial speakers, and engage with, rather than proscribe” extreme political views on campuses. The report is expected to emphasize how seriously universities take their responsibility for the security of students, alongside obligations to promote free speech and academic freedom.
• A UN report concludes that there is a need to find a new way to describe the “fluid and changing” ways in which men care for and support children, redefining the concept of fatherhood. More men are taking on a parenting role more accurately described as “social fatherhood”.

Africa

• The overthrow of Ben Ali and Mubarak has inspired unrest throughout the Middle East, including new violence in Bahrain, Yemen, Iran, and Algeria. On Sunday, the Egyptian military dissolved parliament, suspended the constitution, and called for an election to be held within six months. Police in Cairo, Egypt dismantled remaining tents in Tahrir Square on Monday, in an attempt to get the country back to work. While anti-government protests have quieted down, workers strikes and protests calling for better worker conditions still rage on. Military leaders met with opposition leaders to discuss constitutional amendments for approval in a national referendum within two months, giving them 10 days to finish the revisions. Critics argue that the constitution needs to be rewritten from scratch. Engineers began to assess the Internet blockage they faced during the uprisings, concerned that similar methods could be spread to other places of unrest.  The new army rulers have appointed a retired judge, respected in legal circles for his independent views, to head a committee set up to propose constitutional changes. Some of the organizers of protests announced on Wednesday that they had formed a “Council of Trustees” to negotiate the country’s transition to democracy. On Friday, Egyptians gathered in Tahrir Square in Cairo to celebrate the ousting of President Mubarak.
• The National Congress Party (NCP) and the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) must now decide on the future of the UN peacekeeping force established in the country before the referendum for monitoring the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Several advocacy groups have warned of the pitfalls of shifting the focus away from the peace agreement for Darfur, as the region has seen escalating levels of violence in the last two months.  At least 80% of the border between North and South has been so far demarcated, though in several regions, such as Abyei, the demarcation remains a contentious issue. On Saturday, three traders were killed in Abyei by an angry mob after a soldier allegedly attempted to enter the town market. On Tuesday, authorities said that at least 211 people were killed in the attacks by a renegade militia in Jonglei last week. The UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) is said to have significantly stepped up its patrols as a response to an upsurge of violence and adopted a new approach on movement and access in order to help protect civilians.
• Hundreds of anti-government protesters clashed with police on Tuesday night in eastern Libya, reportedly triggered by the arrest of a human rights campaigner. Government supporters had reportedly taken over the square where demonstrators met by Wednesday. Thursday was scheduled as a “Day of Rage”, and saw hundreds of anti-government protesters again clashing with police and government supporters, as the unrest spread to more cities. Security forces are said to have killed at least 24 in the crackdown of protesters. On Friday, the protests continued, with video showed protesters knocking over a statue of Muammar Gaddafi.
• At least 20 people are dead following explosions at Tanzania People Defense Forces arms’ depot in Dar es Salaam on Wednesday night. Twenty-three depots were razed in the explosions, along with at least two residences and a secondary school.
• An elderly couple was beheaded while their two grandchildren were beaten to death in an attack on a village in central Nigeria on Saturday, in what is suspected to be a ritual killing done in the belief that sacrifices will bring social success and political power. At least six people were killed on Tuesday in Jos during the Eid’l Maulud celebration. The chief judge in Borno State cited that at least 109 have been lost to extrajudicial killings this past year.
• Analysts predict the demise of Zimbabwe‘s Government of National Unity approaching, as the country is expected to have a national poll sometime this year. On Wednesday, the EU decided to remove 35 people from the visa ban and asset freeze list and to extend the validity of the remaining measures. On Tuesday, police are said to have seized cars belonging to PM Tsvangirai’s official escort and arrested his drivers for possessing beacon lights usually found on police vehicles. Independent newspaper vendors report they are being harassed by suspect ZANU-PF thugs.  PM Tsvangirai threatened to boycott a rushed election this year, arguing that it was important to create conditions for a free and fair election first.
• The new Tunisian foreign minister resigned from his post this week, after anger at compliments paid to his French counterpart. There are also reports that ousted President Ben Ali is in a coma, after suffering either a stroke or a heart attack and is listed as in critical condition. Thirty-five inmates of a Tunisian prison escaped after assaulting their guards on Wednesday, though most were recaptured.
• The opposition in Uganda expressed their fears of vote rigging prior to Friday’s vote, as the Electoral Commission announced it would dispatch ballot papers to selected districts 48 hours before the vote. The army is also said to be more involved than previously anticipated, even though the police are legally mandated to provide security during the elections process. On Tuesday, the Parliamentary Speaker ordered 77 lawmakers who changed their political platforms ahead of this year’s election to vacate Parliament, calling their actions unconstitutional. Disputes over land in northern Uganda are reported to be escalating, affecting the resettlement plans of former internally displaced people. President Museveni dismissed predictions of an Egypt-inspired protest erupting after elections on Friday and repeated threats to arrest the main opposition leader. A record turnout is expected. Authorities ordered phone companies to intercept text messages with certain key words or phrases for fear of elections violence.
• Algerian civil society groups organized thousands to protest on Saturday, despite a ban on marching and are said to be planning for another protest next Saturday. Police are said to have briefly detained several hundred, but that there were no reported injuries. The government said it will soon end its 19 year-old state of emergency. One of the founders of the state, Abdelamid Mehri, called upon the President to replace the undemocratic system of rule and reform the government.
• Protests continued in Gabon, with demonstrators saying their president also stole an election and has presided over corruption. Troops are said to have suppressed the protests with tear gas and arrests.
• Demonstrators protesting against the chronic fuel crisis in Malawi were stopped by police on Monday, but have vowed to continue. The protesters are frustrated by the government’s reluctance to tell the people the true reasons for the crisis.
• Eighty-nine people were arrested on Tuesday in South Africa for public violence in Wesselton, after protesters allegedly raged, firing live ammunition, burning tires, throwing stones and blocking roads. On Thursday, two men were seriously injured after their truck was petrol bombed in Durban in the fourth day of the road freight workers countrywide strike.
• Incumbent Ivorian President Gbagbo has asked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice to declare the threat of force against him by ECOWAS Heads of State illegal, calling the proclamation a clear violation of the ECOWAS treaty that respects sovereignty of Member states.  Around 1,000 cocoa farmers and cooperative managers protested inside the regulatory body in Abidjan on Tuesday demanding an end to the cocoa export ban that many fear will ruin the industry and continued to protest on Thursday at the EU offices. On Wednesday, the UN Security Council decided to extend the temporary redeployment of peacekeeping units from Liberia to Cote d’Ivoire for up to three month. Long lines were seen outside several banks with people eagerly awaiting to withdraw their savings amid rumours of a cash shortage, after several international banks shut this week. By Friday, all banks closed as a result of international sanctions and Gbagbo announced that all major banks that had suspended business would be nationalized. The UNHCR has begun to relocate Ivorians in Liberia to a newly established camp further west of the border and hopes to move an estimated 15,000 into the camp over the next couple of weeks.
• A man set himself on fire in front of the presidential palace in Senegal on Friday. A private radio station reported that the man was a soldier wearing his military fatigues when he set himself on fire. It was not immediately clear why he set himself on fire, but many suspect it is related to the similar protests in Tunisia and Egypt.
• At least five people were killed and an additional 10 wounded on Tuesday after government forces fired on a demonstration against al-Shabaab in Somalia. On Thursday, Somaliland police announced they had seized a Somali Transitional Federal Government minister, under order from the break away republic of Somaliland.
• Madagascar‘s exiled former leader Ravalomanana plans to return home on Saturday to help work on a solution to the leadership row triggered by his overthrow two years ago. The President dismissed the talk of return as a rumour aimed at dividing popular opinion and announced on Wednesday that if the ousted President enters the country he will be arrested.
• The UN peacekeeping force in the DR Congo reported on Wednesday that Lt.-Col. Samuel Bisengimana, a senior member of the Forces democratiques de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR) defected yesterday after year-long negotiations and has turned himself in under the DDR program. The FDLR has faced a major blow to its forces after three other Majors with the FDLR defected last month, and some 1,881 rebels, including 64 officers defected last year.
• The last UN troops in Sierra Leone left the country on Thursday after 12 years in the country.
• The parliament in Kenya ruled the nomination of top judicial figures by President Kibaki was unconstitutional on Thursday, reigniting a row that has pushed the coalition cabinet to the brink of collapse. Kibaki’s allies promised to contest the decision that is seen as a symbolic victory for PM Odinga.

Asia

• On Saturday, the Taliban are said to have attacked a police headquarters in Afghanistan’s Kandahar city, killing at least 15 and wounding some 40. On Monday, a suicide bomber killed at least three people and wounded several others in an attack on a Kabul hotel in Afghanistan. The Afghan government announced it will be taking over the running of women’s shelters despite concerns from human-rights groups that the move could put lives at risk. The UN released a report on Monday citing that an increasing number of children have been killed and injured in the conflict, mostly by Taliban and other anti-government groups. In 2010, the report said women and children made up a greater proportion of those killed and injured than in 2009, with child casualties increasing 55%.  On Tuesday, a Finnish soldier was killed in an explosion in the north. On Thursday, NATO said it had detained three senior members of the Hizb-ul-Islami Gulbuddin insurgent group in separate operations; an Afghan police officer on a bike was run over and killed by an ISAF vehicle in Kabul; and an ISAF service member was killed during an insurgent attack in Kabul. On Friday, a suicide car bomb killed at least 8 people and injured scores of others in the eastern city of Khost.
• The Kazakhstan opposition party says it intends to boycott the country’s presidential polls in April, as they complain the quick call does not allow them sufficient time to prepare an effective campaign. The leader of an environmental group however, says he will run despite the fact that he has “no chance” of winning.
• An anti-terrorism court judge in Pakistan issued an arrest warrant for former military ruler Pervez Musharraf for his alleged connection in the 2007 assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Newsweek ran an interesting perspective on the record number of Predator drone strikes with an exclusive interview with a man who approved the operations.
• A car-bomb exploded in southern Thailand, injuring 18 people on Sunday. Fighters have waged a violent campaign since 2004 that has left more than 4,440 dead.
• Cambodia announced that it will ask the UN Security Council to help secure a “permanent ceasefire” with Thailand to help stop the deadly border dispute. The UNSC met in a closed-door meeting with foreign ministers from both countries to discuss the fighting. Cambodia has also asked the Southeast Asian group ASEAN to send observers to monitor the fragile ceasefire, a move thought likely to be resisted by Thailand. On Tuesday, the Thai and Cambodian troops are said to have clashed before dawn by Thailand, wounding one soldier, though Cambodia said it was unaware of any clash. Thousands of residents displaced by the recent fighting began to return to their homes on Wednesday.
• North Korea‘s Kim Jong-il is said to have appointed his son Kim Jong-un to the second most powerful position within the regime, as vice chairman on the National Defense Commission. According to the US defense secretary, North Korea also appear close to finishing a new inter-continental ballistic missile launch site. Proliferation experts were skeptical noting that they have been largely unsuccessful for years. A North Korean has walked across the heavily mined border into South Korea during the “Dear Leader” birthday celebrations to the amazement of South Korean authorities. North Korea has allegedly asked all its 40 embassies to appeal to foreign governments for aid as it struggles to feed millions in an usually direct approach for the highly secretive regime. China told the UN Security Council members it plans to block the publication of the special report that accuses North Korea of violating sanctions on its nuclear programme.
• Thirteen people were sentenced behind closed doors to between 6 and 10 years in prison for their alleged membership in the Islamic group called Jihadists in Uzbekistan. The verdict was only made public this week after relatives of the defendants appealed to seek information. Local and international rights group estimate that more than 10,000 practicing Muslims in the country are currently serving long prison sentences on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order and install a theocracy.
• The  government of Tajikistan intends to distribute copies of the Qu’ran translated into Tajik and the country’s constitution to 400,000 households in the southern province in a bid to stop the spread of radical Islam among young people. Homes would also be given copies of a law on national traditions and a proposed law that could ban children under 18 from attending prayer at mosques. Tajik and Russian border guards are discussing a new draft agreement on control of the Tajik-Afghan border, after a cooperation agreement has now expired.
• A top member of Myanmar/Burma‘s junta has resigned from his seat in Parliament less than three weeks after he was sworn in. No reason was given for the move.
• The Philippine government and Maoist communist rebels sat down for the first formal peace negotiations in more than 6 years on Tuesday despite the arrest of a senior insurgent on the eve of the talks. The government and the rebels have been in stop-start negotiations for nearly 25 years, during which some 40,000 people have been killed.
• A human rights lawyer in China was detained by police after seeking to help another legal activist on Wednesday. His friends and family are concerned because he is still missing and they are unsure where he is being held.
• The Interior Minister of the Azerbaijani enclave of Naxcivan has been accused of torturing a man who criticized police tyranny. Officials dismissed the claims as “nonsense”.

Americas

• A US immigration and customs agent was killed and another wounded while driving through northern Mexico, in a suspected drug cartel attack. On Saturday, armed men opened fire and hurled a grenade into a crowded nightclub in Guadalajara, killing at least 6 people and wounding some 37.  On Sunday, eight people were gunned down by suspected drug gang hitmen in two incidents just outside Mexico City, while the police chief was killed in Monterrey.  On Monday, seven bodies were dumped in a northern town’s main square, while a further five people were shot to death inside their cars, and another person was killed in an attack on a bus. Five others were also reported as killed and the city hall and police headquarters damaged as a turf war raged between two drug cartels.
• Two Cuban political prisoners have been released from prison, despite the fact that both men said they wanted to remain in jail until other opposition leaders were freed and other demands met. Sources say around 100 political prisoners remain jailed in Cuba.
• Colombia‘s FARC rebels freed six  long-held hostages to a Red Cross commission this week, calling the move a humanitarian gesture to show their willingness to work towards peace. The rebels are still holding 15 police and soldiers for political leverage.

Middle East

• The Palestinian Authority cabinet resigned on Monday in a move seen by some as a response to calls for democratic reform echoing around the Middle East, while the Palestinian leadership promised to hold long-overdue elections by September. Hamas said it would not take part in the elections, nor recognize their outcome. Elections have not been held since January 2006, where Hamas won an overall majority, but Abbas’s term as President expired two years ago. On Thursday, thousands of Palestinians rallied in Ramallah calling for unity between Hamas and Fatah factions. Libyan leader Gaddafi called on Palestinian refugees to capitalize on the wave of popular revolt in the Middle East by massing peacefully on the borders of Israel until it gives into their demands.
• Turkey will insist on an apology from Israel for the blood flotilla raid from last year as a condition for mending ties, regardless of the findings of a UN investigation. Israel has broached the issue of compensation, but has not admitted it was at fault and both countries have come to contradictory conclusions in their reports over the handling of the situation. Israeli soldiers are said to have killed three Palestinians along the Gaza-Israeli border on Wednesday, with Gaza saying the men were fishermen working on nets on the short,  the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine claiming one men as a member of their group and the Israeli army saying the men were plotting to plant explosives.
• Activists in Iran protested in central Tehran on Monday, despite a ban on the rally by authorities. They accused the government of hypocrisy in voicing their support for Egyptian and Tunisian protests while refusing to allow their own people to participate in a peaceful demonstration at home. Sporadic clashes erupted between hundreds of Iranians and security forces, while mobile phone connections were reportedly down in the area. Security forces also cut phone lines and blockaded the home of the opposition leader to prevent him from attending, while the former head of the state-controlled News Agency and another prominent opposition politician were both detained. The government is said to have established a special prosecutor’s office for those in the media and cultural fields found violating the strict Islamic codes of behaviour. Some relatives of the demonstrators who were arrested during protests in Tehran on February 14th are said to have been beaten or detained by special police units. Reports say that anywhere from dozens to some 1,500 protesters were arrested, and that several well-known political figures, activists and journalist are among those being held. On Tuesday, Iran’s parliament erupted with cries calling for the execution of opposition leaders thought to have directed Monday’s rally, as some 221 legislators signed a petition to this effect. The head of the judiciary rejected the demands on Thursday. One of the main opposition leaders was reported missing on Thursday, having been missing for two days already. Two Iranian warships withdrew their application to sail through the Suez canal after Israel described the move as a provocation on Wednesday night. Clashes between anti-government protesters and government supporters continued on Wednesday at Tehran University during the funeral of one of two students killed during Monday’s protests. On Friday, participants in a government-sponsored rally called for the two main opposition leaders to be executed.
• Thousands of students have taken to the streets this week in Sanaa, Yemen, demanding the ousting of President Saleh, with security forces preventing the crowd from reaching its destination with razor wire only to disperse them throughout the city. On Wednesday, 2,000 policemen were dispersed within the capital to try and put down continuing protests. President Saleh has said he will not run for another term in elections in 2013, nor will he set up his son to succeed him. Clashes between police, protesters and government loyalists continued on Thursday, with more than a dozen people reported wounded and at least one confirmed death. Riots flared on Thursday night, with protesters in Aden setting fire to a local government building and security forces killing one demonstrator. Tens of thousands turned out for anti-government demonstrations across the country on Friday, resulting in at least three deaths after a hand grenade was thrown at protesters. Pro-government rallies are also said to be held in several cities.
• Small-scale clashes were reported in two villages in Bahrain ahead of planned “Day of Wrath” protests on Monday. Police are said to have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse protesters. More than 10,000 people taking part in a funeral procession for a man killed by security forces, found themselves under a barrage of police pellet bullets, that killed another young man. The main Shia party, al-Wifaq, announced that it was withdrawing from parliament, where it has 18 of the 40 seats. Army patrols and tanks are said to have locked down the capital on Thursday, with security forces forcefully cleared the camp of protesters in Pearl Square, killing at least four and causing hundreds of injuries.  Around 60 people are said to be missing after the raid on the protest camp. Thousands of mourners took to the streets calling for the downfall of monarchy on Friday. Reports, however, say that not everyone is thrilled about the prospect of democracy in the country, specifically many of the minority Sunni population who fear that this will mean the Shiite will then dominate.
• The Iraqi defector, codenamed Curveball, who convinced the White House that Iraq had a secret biological weapons programme has admitted that he lied about his story and was shocked that it was used to justify the war. Curveball claimed that officials said his pregnant wife would not be able to join him in Germany if he didn’t cooperate. Germany’s former foreign minister has accused the former head of the CIA George Tenet of lying about the Curveball case, saying there were doubts about Curveball telling the truth far before the war began, despite Tenet’s assertion that he only found out in 2005. On Saturday, authorities unearthed more than 150 bodies in an area northeast of Baghdad that are thought to be from some of the worst fighting from the war; a roadside bomb wounded two sons of a government-backed militia leader outside his home near Tikrit; a roadside bomb went off near a police patrol, wounding three in southwestern Baghdad; a suicide bombing on a bus carrying Shi’ite pilgrims killed at least 33 in Samarra; and a roadside bomb wounded two civilians in Taji. On Sunday, gunmen opened fire on a police patrol, killing one policeman and wounding two others north of Baghdad; and a local government-backed militia leader was wounded in a roadside bomb attack. On Tuesday, Iraqis protested against corruption and joblessness across the country; a hand grenade targeting the central bank’s Mosul branch wounded two security guards and two civilians; a roadside bomb and a mortar shell exploded in southeast Baghdad wounding two civilians; a roadside bomb killed a civilian and wounded four others in Baghdad; a roadside bomb wounded a civilian in central Mosul; gunmen killed a civilian in front of his house in Kirkuk; and a grocery store owner was stabbed to death inside his shop in Kirkuk. On Wednesday, a bomb planted near a police station wounded two policemen south of Baghdad; gunmen in Mosul shot dead the head of the provincial government’s property registry office; and a roadside bomb exploded near a local police chief’s vehicle, wounding him and two others north of Baghdad. On Thursday, three people were reported killed and at least 14 wounded in clashes between protesters demanding better jobs and improved services and security forces in the eastern city of Kut; some 13 people were killed and 33 wounded when a bomb exploded at a car showroom in Muqdadiya; at least five people killed in Kurdistan after they tried to storm the political offices of the region’s leader; a leading cleric in the Sadrist movement was assassinated in Kerbala; gunmen killed a journalist near his home in Mosul; a roadside bomb wounded six Iranian pilgrims and one Iraqi in Taji; attackers stormed the house of a university professor and hanged him in western Baghdad; three mortar rounds landed in the Green Zone; and gunmen opened fire on a guard near an amusement park in west-central Baghdad, wounding him. Protests are also said to have spread to several Iraqi cities and continued through to Friday. Female university students in Baghdad are complaining about attempts being made by administrators to introduce the hijab as part of a compulsory uniform, a flagrant infringement on personal freedom as guaranteed by the Iraqi Constitution.
• Clashes broke out on Friday between government supporters and opponents at a protest calling for more freedom and lower food prices in Jordan, injuring some 8 people. Jordanians protested the entire week.
• Hezbollah’s leader told group members in Lebanon on Wednesday to be prepared to invade northern Israel if war breaks out, illustrating the fragile situation along the border over the past few years. Nasrallah warned Israel that Hezbollah would avenge the death of slain commander Imad Moughniyeh. Israel’s PM responded by saying that no one should doubt Israel’s determination to defend itself. The sixth anniversary of the assassination of former PM Hariri saw Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square largely empty, in striking contrast to past years when tens and sometimes even hundreds of thousands crowded the square. Many sense this demonstrates a shift in political momentum within the country following the recent government collapse that forced the younger Hariri out of office in January.

Europe

• Police in Belarus have detained two young activists for distributing leaflets calling for the immediate release of other activists in jail. The two face charges for hooliganism. The campaign manager of a former opposition candidate was also arrested, charged with organizing mass unrest. 
• Four military personnel in the Armenian Defense Ministry were arrested in connection with another noncombat death within the army after a 19-year-old conscript was found beaten to death by fellow soldiers. On Thursday, it was reported that Armenia and Georgia formally agreed to plans to jointly operate their three border crossings in an effort to facilitate trade and transport.
• On Monday, two suicide bombers blew themselves up in front of police stations in Dagestan, killing three and injuring 26. At least 10 people died on Tuesday in clashes between police and militants in Chechnya.
• The Italian PM Berlusconi faces trial on charges he paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl and then used his political position to try to cover it up, following massive protests across the country. Last month a court partially removed Berlusconi’s right to political immunity.
• Belgium marked a near world record of 249 days without a government, due to political deadlock following June elections last year that failed to produce a clear winner. Many took to the streets in protest and celebration.