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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