Arab Spring: Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, Steps down

 

On 23 November 2011, President Ali Abdullah Saleh signed a Gulf Cooperation Council initiative to transfer power to a deputy and step down from the power.

As a result of a military coup, Saleh became president of North Yemen in 1978. After Yemen's unification in 1990, he became the country's president. In 2012, less than a year after the Arab Spring demonstrations swept over Yemen, he formally resigned as president.

According to Christopher Boucek “Saleh is the only indispensable political actor in Yemen,” which makes Saleh’s abdication of power extremely problematic.

What is Arab Spring?

Arab Spring, 2010-2011 wave of pro-democracy rallies and revolutions across the Middle East and North Africa that challenged authoritarian regimes. The wave began on December 17, 2010, with Mohamed Bouazizi's self-immolation in Tunisia. When Tunisia and Egypt overthrew their rulers, motivating other Arab countries. Individual countries popularized the Arab Spring as the Jasmine Revolution (Tunisia), Egypt Uprising of 2011, Yemen Uprising of 2011-12, Libya Revolt of 2011, and Syrian Civil War.

Jasmine Revolution of Tunisia

In December 2010, a 26-year-old street seller self-immolated in central Tunisia to protest his treatment by local authority. Media termed the protest movement the "Jasmine Revolution." The Tunisian government tried to end protests with brutality and political and economic concessions. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali resigned and fled the nation on January 14, 2011 after protesters overwhelmed the country's security forces. In October 2011, Tunisians voted for a council to design a new constitution. In October–November 2019, Tunisia became the first Arab Spring country to peacefully shift leadership.

Egypt revolution of January 25

Young Egyptians quickly organized similar protests on social media, drawing large crowds on January 25. Egypt's leadership attempted to quell protesters by making concessions and cracking down really hard. After days of massive protests and clashes between protesters and security forces in Cairo and throughout the country, the Egyptian army refused to take action against protestors calling for Mubarak's removal. On February 11, Mubarak handed over power to a council of senior military officers after nearly 30 years in power. The military had strong popular support prior to the formation of a new administration, but its seeming concentration on stability diminished hope.

Major Events in Some countries

Late in January, February, and March of 2011, protest groups emerged in Yemen, Bahrain, and Libya, inspired by the demonstrators' speedy victories in Tunisia and Egypt. These countries were followed by Syria. However, in contrast to Tunisia and Egypt, these nations saw bloody—and frequently protracted—struggles between opposition groups and governing regimes as a result of the outpouring of popular anger.

Impact on Other Countries

The consequences of the Arab Spring movement were felt throughout the Middle East and North Africa, with several nations in the area witnessing at least moderate pro-democracy demonstrations. In order to prevent the expansion of protest movements in their nations, authorities in Algeria, Jordan, Morocco, and Oman made a variety of commitments, extending from the firing of undesirable personnel to constitutional modifications.

The Legacy of Revolution

The Arab Spring was unusual in its interwoven struggle for democracy across the region, but the push to remove corruption and enhance individuals' quality of life continued. In the late 2010s and early 2020s, the Arab world saw another wave of protests. In February 2019, Algerian protesters deposed President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's government; in April, Sudan's military ended President Omar al-Bashir's 30-years rule. Iraq and Lebanon, democracies whose fragmented factions prevented them from addressing challenges, also saw huge protests in 2019–20. The scale and similarity of these protests caused many commentators to call it a second Arab Spring.

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