From revolution to civil war 78 zones and does not tightly define civil war versus other intrastate conflict. These movements collectively came to be dubbed the arab spring, the arab revolution or the arab awakening souza and lipietz 2011. If this experiment collapses then the rise of another gaddafistyle strongman or the permanent fragmentation of the country between its east and west are likely to be its longest lasting legacy. The basic difference, of course, is that libya has a relatively small population about 6. The youth bulge and arab unemployment the arab world has been facing a demographic trap for nearly three decades. Youth unemployment between 1829 ages, which served as. They were to be drawn from guinea, nigeria, chad, central african republic, mali, senegal and the rebel forces in darfur westem sudan, transported to libya, placed under the command of libyan intelligence director abdullah al sanosi. Libya the death of dictator first protests in libya started on january 2011 but mass uprisings began in the city of benghazi on 15 february 2011. Real gdp growth 2010, 2015 fffi fffi6% fffi4% fffi2% fffi 0% ff 2% ff 4% ff algeria libya morocco tunisia 2010 2015 source.
Unemployment rates 2010, 2015 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% algeria libya morocco tunisia 2010 2015 source. Roots and causes of the arab uprisings there is a consensu s among politica l analysts regardin g the cocktai l of major factors that, when combined, created the socia l explosio n known as the 2011 arab uprisings. The reasons and economic and political consequences of arab. The impact of the arab spring concerns protests or by the way attempts to organize growing protest movements that were inspired by or similar to the arab spring in the arabmajority states of north africa and the middle east, according to commentators, organisers, and critics. The arab spring in historical perspective mohammadmahmoud ould mohamedou 7 over the past few years have similarly emerged in libya. Even before the fall of tripoli and the last act of the february 17 revolution, dissensions had chronically plagued the libyan uprising painting. There are also nomadic tribes to the south, such as the tuareg and tebu tribes. Instead, a new arab political identity with an antidespotic, pluralis t and democracyseekin g approach is dawning. Globa l cst requeste d the deploymen t of african mercenaries to libya. Feb 16, 2015 libyas arab spring was a bloody affair, ending with the killing of gaddafi, one of the worlds most ruthless dictators. The influence of displeasure explosion against governments in tunisia, libya and egypt, known as arab spring, on the situation in syria was described. Not all of the movements, however, could be deemed successfulat least if the end goal was increased democracy and cultural freedom.
Such state of affairs requires careful reading and reaction from the international community, especially in a period of economic crisis and widespread differentlymotivated social disturbances. Libya, tunisia and the arab spring jason william boose international journal of social science and humanity, vol. Things were very complicated in the libyan arab spring. Arab spring yields different outcomes in bahrain, egypt. These demonstrations and protest efforts have all been critical of the government in their respective countries. Between the islamic state and the nationstate the brookings project on u. Mar 05, 2015 libyas chaos among arab springs failures cnn.
The reasons and economic and political consequences of. Washington must come to grips with these variations if it hopes to shape the outcomes constructively. His death saw the rebel militias turn on each other in a mosaic of turf. Analysis of the arab spring 3 blunders in state response, in particular using a heavyhanded approach and trying to crush opposition, had the reverse effect of galvanising more people to join the protests icg, 2011b and 2011d. The arab spring was a loosely related group of protests that ultimately resulted in regime changes in countries such as tunisia, egypt and libya. The impact of the arab spring concerns protests or by the way attempts to organize growing protest movements that were inspired by or similar to the arab spring in the arab majority states of north africa and the middle east, according to commentators, organisers, and critics. First, the study shows that it is possible to formulate a more detailed and accurate explanation of the civil wars through the usage of the three theories causal mechanisms.
Libya following the arab spring remains a work in progress. The country was ruled by gaddafi for 42 years, making him the longestreigning leader in the arab world. Jun 20, 2016 saudi arabia was the aggressor in the arab spring of syria and oman, and saudi arabia was the defender in the arab spring of tunisia, egypt and bahrain. Overreliance on foreign help and international third parties to deal with an indigenous cause eventually enabled these outside sources to shape and eventually hijack that indigenous cause. This brief, timely analysis situates the assault on libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the middle east in the spring of 2011. At a time when it is increasingly fashionable to dismiss the arab spring as a fantasy, here is its animating spirit at work. Because of the countries vastly different cultures and histories, writes the president of the american university in cairo. Triggers, dynamics and prospects stephan rosiny on 17 december 2010, the selfimmolation of tunisian vegetable vendor mohammed bouazizi sparked the arab spring. The arab spring in historical perspective mohammadmahmoud ould mohamedou 6 overnight societal transformation to the other of negation of unprecedented change. Why have the upheavals in tunisia, egypt, and libya followed such different paths. Libya and the arab spring on 15 february 2011, demonstrations in the city of benghazi took place against longtime leader colonel muammar gaddafi before quickly developing into an armed uprising.
However, this outcome is unlikely, and the most likely scenario is that the arab world will continue to be governed by authoritarian governme nts. The arab spring may yet turn to chilly winter we may not like the consequences of elections in north africa but we must not repeat the mistakes of the past. In libya things were very complicated, and i discuss libya in the next chapter. On 29 september 1911, italy declared war against the ottoman empire saying they want to protect italian citizens in tripolitania and cyrenaica but their primary aim was to take over libya. The lasting armed conflict in libya began in february 2011 as part of the socalled arab spring protests that flared up in the libyan provinces with the people demanding the resignation of muammar gaddafi who had ruled the libyan arab republic for over 40 years. The gaddafi archives libya before the arab spring view gallery an exhibition of photographs, documents and artefacts from the human rights watch archive paints a portrait of libya in the four decades prior to the arab spring. Office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs ocha. Pdf analysis and background of the arab spring in libya. One out of four people appear to be unemployed in libya, which is one of the main reasons that triggered arab spring. Meanwhile, egyptians rose in revolt as strikes across the country brought daily life to a halt and toppled the government. In libya, a sclerotic, violent and dictatorial regime fought it out to the bitter end, long after it knew it was all over. In tunisia, rates were about % at the beginning of the unrest. This article appears in the foreign affairs cfr ebook, the new arab revolt. Apr 01, 2012 this brief analysis situates the assault on libya in the context of the winds of revolt that swept through the middle east in the spring of 2011.
Vijay prashad explores the recent history of the qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the united nations, nato, and the rest of the worlds superpowers in the bloody civil war that ensued. Oct 01, 2012 cbs news indepth look at the arab spring. Arab spring used their powers vehemently to crush the demonstrators and consequently the peaceful protesters also became violent. Applying a discourse analytical approach, the author identifies societal cleavages that have come to the fore in libyas transitional period. This paper focuses on the nature and development of these arab spring uprisings in libya and syria, centering on civil war concerns in the two nations. Development of conflict in arab spring libya and syria. Mar 15, 2016 a good overview of six middle eastern states in the aftermath of the arab spring protests. See how the arab spring skirted oman, december 2011.
Two divergent paths of the arab spring are clearly visible today. Within a few months, a wave of protest had swept away the despots of tunisia, egypt and libya. Abstractthere was great hope that the arab spring in 2011 would usher in an era of democratic change throughout the arab world. Demystifying the arab spring parsing the differences between tunisia, egypt, and libya lisa anderson in tunisia, protesters escalated calls for the restoration of the countrys suspended constitution. Stability in libya and the countrys successful transition to democracy are crucial to security in the eus southern neighbourhood, not least because of the symbolic effect for other countries of the arab spring that is likely to ensue. May 29, 2012 yet, the legacy of a similar uprising the arab revolt of 1916 to expel fourcenturyold ottoman rule carries many lessons for the arab spring. Analysis and background of the arab spring in libya. Prashad does not buy the bunkum that nato bombed libya for moral motives but that it wanted to take control of the arab spring dynamic that was threatening to unravel western hegemony in the region. What was lost in those hasty assessments was the unpredictability of transitions and the. The missing states are notable libya, algeria, iran, syria, etc, but the profiles of political figures and public intellectuals provide a view of the middle east not seen in american media. A rebel fighter holds a kingdom of libya flag and a knife during shelling by soldiers loyal to libyan leader muammar gaddafi in a battle near ras lanuf, march 4, 2011. Libyas arab spring was a bloody affair, ending with the killing of gaddafi, one of the worlds most ruthless dictators. Discourses on solidarity, the sociocultural revolution, and the political revolution in egypt, tunisia, and yemen over the last couple of decades, womenspearheaded social movements have mobilized to leave a lasting impression on civil societies across the globe. Irans role in the arab spring of libya iakovos alhadeff.
The common slogan of the protesters throughout arab spring was the people want to bring down the regime aissa, 2012. The arab springs spirit still burns in libya telegraph. Arab spring revisitedthe battle for democracy in egypt the economist duration. Pdf arab spring as a background of civil war in syria. A good overview of six middle eastern states in the aftermath of the arab spring protests. Causes of the arab spring causes of the arab spring may be described as following. The arab spring in oman a very good article from the centerleft huffington post about the arab spring of oman in 2011. In the early 1900s libya was still part of ottoman empire.
Amir faisal, the leader of the 1916 arab revolt and a firm believer in the idea of arab unity had hypothesized that once the victors of world war i would concede arab independence and help them establish their local competence, the natural influences of race, language and interest would soon draw all arabs into one people. The roots and causes of the 2011 arab uprisings kamal eldin osman salih abstract. It began in response to oppressive regimes and a low standard of living, starting with protests in tunisia noueihed, 2011. Libya and the eu have a joint interest in the management of migratory movements from africa to europe. Vijay prashad explores the recent history of the qaddafi regime, the social forces who opposed him, and the role of the united nations, nato, and the rest of the worlds superpowers in the. Yet, faisal requested from the great powers of world war i that.
Demystifying the arab spring university of california, san. A t the dawn of the first winter after the arab spring, bahrain is an island of sadness. He argues that natos institution of the nofly zone and support for qaddafis indictment before the international criminal court eviscerated the. Youth frustration and the arab spring 5 spring will require the participation of youth, as well as policies and programs that address the concerns of youth in both the short and longterm. Thi s researc h articl e attempts to scrutinize the nature and cause s of the ara b uprising s which too k people by surpris e globall y throughou t 2011 and int o 2012. Gramsci and other marxists place civil society outside the power structures of. Libya, syria, and yemen in the context of the arab springs revolutions. According to huffington post the arab spring in oman was probably a warning send to oman from the united arab emirates, in order for. The arab spring which first broke out in tunisia and disseminated to many countries in the arab world has become one of the most actual topics of the international political agenda in the recent years. As a result, hundreds of thousands of libyans and people of other countries victims of the arab spring upheavals have fled to europe bearing out muammar gaddafis warning that the western destruction of libya would lead to instability in the mediterranean and an avalanche of migrants heading to europe. The debate has focused on democracy, federalism, decentralisation and localisation, the role of religion, women in politics as well as ethnic minorities. T he events that began in tunisia in january 2011 and spread to egypt and then libya, jordan, morocco, bahrain, syria, and. Briefly after the revolution, libya experienced a period of calm before it was plunged yet again into another conflict.
1569 707 72 45 1343 51 364 1213 89 1643 196 454 1308 554 65 723 210 1273 336 609 1286 1053 646 76 630 764 1296 476 1396 914 258 1177 15 275 1295 426 217 1445 417 38 519 1225 1257