Hours after longtime Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak officially resigned, caving to protesters demands after 18 days of nationwide unrest, Tahrir Square in central Cairo was the scene of a massive street party.
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Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, after 30 years in power, bowing to a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. Mubarak, 82, had flown with his family from Cairo to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, a ruling party official said. Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher takes a look at how the former military man rose to power, and how it all began to slip away.
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For long serving Middle Eastern autocrats, it’s a date to avoid For most of us 11 February is just another unremarkable late-winter day. But if you’re a long serving Middle Eastern autocrat it’s a date to mark in the diary with a big warning cross. Hosni Mubarak’s exit from Egypt’s presidency came exactly 32 years after Ayatollah Khomeini took power in Iran, his Islamic revolution cementing the downfall of the Shah, who had fled into exile – to Egypt. But the day is not just about toppling autocrats: 11 February 1990 marked the day Nelson Mandela was released from prison on Robben Island after 27 years. On the same date in 1975 Margaret Thatcher succeeded Edward Heath as Conservative party leader. And continuing the theme of divisive female politicians – for Sarah Palin the date has an entirely different significance: it’s her birthday. Hosni Mubarak Egypt The Iranian revolution Peter Walker guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The father of two missing Swiss twins told his wife in a suicide letter that he killed them, reports Global Post . Matthias Schepp wrote that the twins were “resting in peace” and “did not suffer” and that he would soon follow them. He later threw himself in front of a…
Continue reading …Where next for Hosni Mubarak? Wealth and fears of prosecution will dictate future
February 11, 2011 No Comment
Former ruler insists on staying in homeland but charges of corruption and human rights abuses may force relocation Switzerland has frozen all assets belonging to Hosni Mubarak and his family, which could run into hundreds of millions, the government announced. The move came as the former president was reported to have flown to the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, where he has previously chaired summits, received guests and enjoyed the winter sunshine well away from the crowds. Mubarak said in his first speech during the uprising on 1 February that he would not leave his homeland, pledging to “die on the soil of Egypt and be judged by history”. But exploratory discussions involving the Saudis, the US and the UAE have reportedly taken place about him moving to Dubai. One important issue is immunity from any prosecution he might face on charges of crimes against humanity after 300 deaths and documented abuses by the security forces. According to the London-based paper al-Quds al-Arabi, revelations about the Mubarak family fortune and possible legal action over that are also a factor in planning for a post-presidential future. Experts have estimated that the Mubaraks could be worth £43.5bn, with much of the wealth from investment deals in British and Swiss banks or tied up in upmarket real estate in London, New York, Los Angeles and expensive tracts of the Red Sea coast. In Britain, sources say the Bank of England cannot act against Mubarak’s UK assets, which are thought to be considerable, unless it receives a formal request from either the EU, UN or a new Egyptian government. No requests have, as yet, been forthcoming. The president’s half-Welsh wife, Suzanne and their sons, Gamal and Alaa, were able to accumulate wealth through partnerships with foreign investors and companies, dating back to when he was in the military and in a position to benefit from corporate corruption. It had been thought that Mubarak might be persuaded to again seek urgent medical treatment in Germany, where he spent three weeks convalescing after surgery last March. But Omar Suleiman, the vice-president, denied on Wednesday that this option was under consideration. Germany has also denied offering him hospitality. A peaceful retirement in Sharm el-Sheikh would be an unusual outcome for an Arab president in the post-second world war era. Several Lebanese presidents retired after serving their terms in office, but otherwise Arab leaders have mostly either died in office or been murdered. In Tunisia, human rights campaigners are attempting to unravel the former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s web of assets, believed to spread from Canada and South America to the Gulf, and draw a “blacklist” of misappropriated assets. A Tunis prosecutor opened an investigation into the overseas assets of the ousted leader and his family. Much of the fortune, allegedly made from pillaging the economy, is believed to be held in property and secret bank accounts. A number of countries, including France, are examining requests to identify and block any movement of funds belonging to members of the Ben Ali regime, including relatives of his second wife, Leila Trabelsi. She was reported to have fled last week to Saudi Arabia with 1.5
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News of Egyptian president’s departure spread rapidly through region, where other authoritarian rulers are in power Algeria In another military dominated north African state with a long-term authoritarian ruler, the Egyptian drama came on the eve of pro-democracy protests that could turn violent. “Even with Mubarak’s departure, it’s not certain that everything will be immediately resolved,” said historian Daho Djerbal. “But a shockwave is running through all the societies of this region, and other despots will go. There is an idea of the birth of a new republic in which sovereignty is being returned to the people. The people are becoming aware of their power. In Algeria it’s slower than elsewhere because we only have a very young new middle class, after it was destroyed under colonialism.” Tunisia Four weeks after Tunisia’s own revolution, the news from Egypt was received with joy. “There has been an explosion of joy on the streets of Tunis. People are gathering outside the Egyptian embassy to express their happiness,” said Abdelraham Hedidhi, a trade unionist. “There has been a great breath of revolution blowing on the wind across the region and Tunisians are very proud to have played their part in starting it. Mubarak’s departure will help us in our efforts to set up our own democracy. Because of the power and importance of Egypt in the Arab world, other countries will follow: Yemen, Jordan, Algeria. There is a new power to the people.” Jordan Six weeks of calls for political change have led to a tense truce between Jordan’s monarchy and a restless opposition. Central Amman, which has played host to waves of protests in recent weeks, was alive with talk of Egypt and the rapid success of the region’s rage against the regimes. Former deputy prime minister Ayman al-Safidi was confident that the people’s demands could be addressed through reform rather than revolution. “The old guard has been forceful in protecting their interests,” he said. “We have to be much more assertive in pushing for the type of reforms that we are going to have. We cannot stand still in the face of time.” Israel Israel will now be uncertain about future relations with Egypt. The peace treaty between the two countries that has been in place for more than 30 years has not exactly made them warm allies, but the peace has held. Israeli ministers have been warning for almost three weeks that regime change in Egypt could end the “cold peace” between the nations. Their worst fears are that the Muslim Brotherhood will gain in power and influence and Egypt will adopt a hostile attitude towards the Jewish state. There was no immediate reaction to Mubarak’s resignation from the prime minister’s office. Binyamin Netanyahu has been telling international counterparts that Israel expects any future Egyptian government to honour the peace treaty and that the international community should be making that clear. Gaza Hamas called on people to rally all over Gaza on Friday night to celebrate Mubarak’s resignation. People were raising Egyptian flags, and some Hamas fighters have fired weapons into the air since the announcement. Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader in Gaza, said Hamas hoped to benefit from the developments, calling for improved relations between Egypt and the Islamic movement. The Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas’s close allies, “are present everywhere”, he said. He would not be drawn on whether a new Egyptian regime may wish to review the peace treaty it signed with Israel more than 30 years ago. “There is no clear picture about the new government, but it will be controlled by the army to begin with,” he said. “We are hoping to benefit.” Lebanon Guns were fired into the air in the Shia Muslim stronghold suburbs of south Beirut last night as residents celebrated the news. Mubarak had been the subject of regular taunts from Hezbollah’s Hassan Nasrallah, particularly over Egypt’s strict control of the Rafah border crossing in southern Gaza, which was rarely opened to allow Palestinians to cross. In the predominantly Sunni Muslim west Beirut, the public reaction was muted, although there was keen interest in cafes and bars where television coverage of the momentous events in Cairo was screening continuously. Middle East Egypt Hosni Mubarak Algeria Tunisia Jordan Israel Gaza Palestinian territories Lebanon Harriet Sherwood Angelique Chrisafis Martin Chulov Hazem Balousha guardian.co.uk
Continue reading …The Sudanese ceasefire has been broken, with more than 100 people killed in a series of clashes between the Sudanese army and rebels, al-Jazeera reports. The military says fighters loyal to rebel leader George Athor attacked an army base in Jonglei earlier this week, setting off the violence. In the…
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Jubilant Egyptians celebrate Hosni Mubarak’s resignation Cairo, in Arabic, means “victorious”. Last night the Egyptian capital lived up to its name. The crowds that had been steadily gathering outside the presidential palace all afternoon were swaying with their normal rhythm of quietly controlled passion, pockets of singing here, flags waved there. Word spread that an important announcement was expected, but few held out much hope. They had anticipated triumph the night before and seen it snatched from their hands. This time, though, it would be different. At 6pm, beneath the Belle Époque domes of the building from which President Hosni Mubarak had ruled for so long, a cry went out that he was gone. In an instant the street was convulsed with a wild, directionless surge of energy. For a few moments it was simply a wall of sound, and Egypt’s national colours blurred through the sky from every angle. And then the world came back into focus. “Freedom,” roared a jubilant crush of humanity, as the party got under way. Families and friends were torn apart in the throng, but it didn’t matter; hugs and kisses and dances were being thrown out indiscriminately. People bounced from one circle of cheering youths to another; some put their Egyptian flags down on the floor and began to pray, others fainted – quite overcome with the emotion. “For 18 days we have withstood tear gas, rubber bullets, live ammunition, molotov cocktails, thugs on horseback, the scepticism and fear of our loved ones, and the worst sort of ambivalence from an international community that claims to care about democracy,” said Karim Medhat Ennarah, a protester with tears in his eyes. “But we held our ground. We did it. “My late father was part of a sit-in at the faculty of engineering in Cairo University in 1968 – the first protest seen in Egypt since Nasser took over in 1952,” he added. “His generation tell me that they were not as brave as us, but they started something and played their part. Today, we finished the job for them.” Soon the march back to Tahrir Square, in the centre of Cairo, was under way, serenaded by car horns, onlookers on their balconies punching the air, and a blast of amateur fireworks that shot through the crowd at just above head height and exploded to cheers. Tariq Ashri, a 42-year-old administrative assistant, had spent the morning walking the 10 miles down the road to the palace in a mood of defiance. Now he was walking back in joy. “I feel free at last,” he told the Guardian. “We’ve had 30 years of dreaming about democracy, now tomorrow the dreaming is over and the real work begins.” Around him, a chant went up in memory of the 300 people who have died at the hands of Mubarak’s forces since the protests began 18 days ago, as the 82-year-old president tried to cling on to power. “Be happy martyrs, for today we feast at your victory,” they sang. Military police in red berets were all smiles and thumbs-up to the crowd. Apprehension about what might happen next in a country now under army control was being pushed aside to allow for celebrations, but as the procession reached the high-walled ministry of defence, Egyptians could not resist reminding their new overlords of who now held the balance of power in the Arab world’s most populous nation. “Here, here, the Egyptians are here,” they shouted up at the darkened windows. From one, a senior officer responded with a V-sign peace salute. And so, at last, they reached Tahrir Square, the spiritual home of this revolution that showed the world not just how a western-backed strongman could be brought down by his own people, but how broad-based, non-sectarian and all-inclusive that population could be when doing it. With flares in one corner, an impromptu concert in another, and sheer exhilaration in between, the party was as leaderless as the uprising it celebrated. Haisam Abu-Sabra was in the thick of it. He said: “For the first time in my life tonight, I say proudly: I am Egyptian.” Egypt Middle East Hosni Mubarak Protest Jack Shenker guardian.co.uk
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