Impacts of the Arab Spring

 Impacts of the Arab Spring

 

The Arab Spring started in Tunisia in Dec 2010 after the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi. Bouazizi was a 26-years-old street vendor whose cart got confiscated by the authorities for not having a work permit. He approached the local authorities but was ignored. Bouazizi set himself on fire and died within a few days. This led to massive protests in Tunisia against the then-president Zein El Abidine Ben Ali. His 23-years long rule ended just within a few months. The protests did not remain confined to Tunisia. However, this episode ignited the protest waves in other parts of the Arab World. Husni Mubarak, who was ruling Egypt for the last 30 years, got overthrown within 18 days. Mohammed Morsi became the first democratically-elected president of the country. But he was overthrown by the military general Abdul Fateh el Sisi. The military is still very much in control. In Libya, Muammar Qaddafi was killed and captured after 42 years of rule. Civil war is still going on in the country.

 

In Yemen, President Ali Abdullah Saleh was overthrown after 33 years of rule. Civil war is going on in this country with Houthis on one hand and a Saudi-led military coalition on the other. Sana’a is facing the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Children are dying due to malnourishment. Foreign powers are vying for influence in the country. Yemen has become a battleground for the regional and international powers. In Syria, Bashaar ul Asad survived the protests. But the groups like ISIS and foreign powers are wreaking havoc in Damascus. In Bahrain, protest waves emerged but they were countered by the Saudi troops. The monarchy remained safe- thanks largely to the Saudi influence.

 

Though the protest waves swept the entire Arab world, only Tunisia remained the success story. It witnessed a peaceful political transition. Democracy is back in vogue. Elections are being held regularly. More importantly, the Truth and Dignity Commission was established to investigate rights abuses and corruption. A lot of witnesses were televised. But some politicians from the previous regimes have come back to power. There are reports that they are allegedly trying to stop the commission. Similarly, a controversial law has been passed which provided amnesty to the officials working under the previous Ben Ali’s presidency. Likewise, the country is facing security problems. Fighters are crossing from neighboring Libya and are attacking the civilian population. The economy of the country is also in dire constraints. Though Tunis cannot be referred to as a complete success story, however, it is hard to ignore the gains it has achieved. Nonetheless, Mohammed Bouazizi has achieved his objective of getting heard.