Uprisings in the Arab World:
Promise and Risks
A series of popular revolts have gripped the Arab world since mid-January 2011. The initial spark came from Tunisia, where riots over a dire economic situation and government repression led to the ouster of President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali on 14 January. In Egypt, massive protests over three weeks eventually culminated in the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, and the country is currently navigating its democratic transition under the rule of a military council. Protests have spread to several countries in the region, including Yemen, Oman, Bahrain and, most notably, Libya, where bloody clashes between government and opposition forces have left hundreds dead, and Colonel Muammar Qaddafi is resisting intense international pressure to resign.
The rapid spread and escalation of unrest underlined the magnitude of events, but their pace makes the direction of change uncertain. Events are unfolding quickly, and on this web page Crisis Group will gather all of its material on the current protests, background information and analysis, as well as links to key external sources.
CrisisGroup resources on the current situation in North Africa and the wider Arab world
Click here to watch an interview with Rob Malley, Crisis Group's Middle East & North Africa Program Director, on PBS Newshour about the situation in Libya (28 February 2011).
Background material
For past reports, visit the individual pages for the relevant countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan and Yemen.
The CrisisWatch Database offers a month-by-month summary of the most important developments in the Middle East and North Africa.
Other organisations’ materials
International institutions’ statements, documents
News coverage
BBC resource on Mid-East and Arab unrest.
Al Jazeera’s ‘Region in Turmoil’ resource.
Magharebia’s special coverage of Libya and Tunisia.
AlArabiya’s Middle East news.
Twitter
#feb17 (Libya), #feb14 (Bahrain), #jan25 (Egypt), #yemen, #tunisia, #jordan protest.