Stories about Tunisia from March, 2011
Tunisia: Bloggers Angry at Interim Interior Minister Sacking
Tunisian bloggers are outraged over the sacking of Interim Interior Minister Farhat Rajhi today. In a surprise move, he was replaced by Hbib El-Seed. Netizens are now calling for his return to managing his portfolio in blog posts and on Facebook.
Arab World: The Arab Tyrant Manual
The Arab Tyrant Manual is out, and is being tweeted as I type. On Twitter, Iyad Elbaghdadi is repeating all the excuses we have heard from the governments of Arab countries which have had protests calling for regime change and reforms since the Tunisian uprising at the end of 2010. Although they sound like one liners from a comic strip, they still get support from people on the ground.
Video: Time Lapse Mapping the Global Protests and Uprisings
John Caelan from the website The Swamp Post has created a couple of time-lapse videos that map protests from December 18 to March 7, 2011, where the protests and uprisings can be seen spreading out into different countries.
Tunisia: Hillary Clinton's Unwelcome Visit
On the night of Wednesday 15 March, 2011, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton arrived in Tunisia after a trip to Egypt. Her visit was marked by protests in capital Tunis, from people who see her visit as the height of hypocrisy, considering that the US government was known to be an ally of former President Ben Ali's regime.
Arab World: How Much Does Internet Access Matter?
Amidst the ongoing debate of the role of social media in revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa lies another question: To what degree does Internet access matter in determining the role of the Internet and social media in these revolts? Jillian C. York looks at different ideas about the effects of Internet penetration on the effectiveness of social media organizing.
Senegal: Self-immolation on the Rise
In a post published in the collective blog Bondy blog , Amara Soumah writes [fr]: “In February, two Senegalese self-immolated in the vicinity of the presidential palace. Senegalese people would say that those actions are not really inspired by Tunisian Mohamed Bouazizi, because others have committed that act in Senegal before,...
Arab World: Bloggers Compete for Arabisk Competition
Arab bloggers are vying for the Best of the Arabic Blogs Awards, Arabisk, which is now in the judging phase of the competition. The top 20 nominations in four categories are being judged now, and the competition results will be announced at the beginning of April. Haifa Al Rasheed has more on the competition.
Middle East: Revolutionary Breeze Blowing from Cairo to Benghazi
Egyptian Tarek Shalaby shares the details of the trip he organized with friends to Libya in order to show solidarity with the Libyan people, as well as deliver medical supplies to them.
Tunisia: Reconciliation Between the People and the Government?
Tunisia's interim president Fouad Mebazaa addressed the public, promising a complete break with the old regime, yesterday (March 3, 2011). He announced that on July 24, the people will choose their representatives by electing a national constitutional assembly which will rewrite the constitution.
Tunisia: Refugee Crisis at the Libya Border
The border between Tunisia and Libya has seen a massive influx of refugees since the uprising in Libya began. The initial journey is long and tough, and for most it doesn't end there. Huge crowds of thousands have been waiting for days in freezing cold weather to cross in to Tunisia.