A car bomb exploded outside the Corinthia hotel in Tripoli Tuesday morning and killed eight total people; three security guards and five foreigners.
It is unclear who attacked the luxury hotel, but the Tripoli-based government blamed forces loyal to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives. Meanwhile, despite a ceasefire between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and Misratan forces, continued clashes occur. LNA airstrikes have occurred around Zawiya, Ben Jawad, and in Benghazi targeting Islamist fighters. Also, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Tobruk-based Abdullah al-Thinni government, Hassan Saghir, was released after being abducted in Beida yesterday morning. [Reuters, Libya Herald, 1/27/2015]
EGYPT | LIBYA & THE MAGHREB | SYRIA & ITS NEIGHBORS | YEMEN & THE GULF | ECONOMICS
Parties to reconsider running for elections after activist’s death
The Democratic Trend Alliance, which includes the Dostour Party, the Social Popular Alliance Party, the Popular Current, the Karama Party, the Socialist Party, and the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, will reconsider participating in the upcoming parliamentary elections in protest over a female activist’s death on Saturday. Shaimaa al-Sabbagh, a member of the Socialist Popular Alliance Party (SPAP), was killed in a protest on January 24. The alliance announced five conditions to participate. The five conditions include the dismissal of Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim, amending the law regulating protests, investigating Sabbagh’s killing, releasing activists detained over opinion charges, and restructuring the Interior Ministry. The Dostour Party also announced on Monday that participation in the upcoming parliamentary elections will be “difficult” amid the current security crackdown. [Aswat Masriya, Egypt Independent, Ahram Online, 1/26/2015]
Egypt Court upholds verdict against three prominent activists
Egypt’s highest appeal court on Tuesday upheld convictions and three-year prison sentences for three prominent activists for violating the country’s draconian law on protests, their lawyer Tarek al-Awady said. The decision by Cairo’s Cassation Court left Ahmed Maher, Ahmed Douma, and Mohamed Adel, without any other legal options, Awady added. The court also ordered the three to be on probation for three years after serving their sentences. [AP, Aswat Masriya, Egypt Independent, 1/27/2015]
Spate of bombings hit Egypt governorates
Head of Cairo’s fire department said explosives’ experts defused a bomb at City Stars, a huge shopping mall in Nasr City district east of the capital on Monday afternoon. Major General Mamdouh Abdel-Kader said security forces evacuated the building and closed the surrounding road after a bomb was found in a bathroom inside the mall. Security forces also evacuated a building at the Heliopolis Court on Tuesday after finding two explosive devices in its vicinity. Meanwhile, a man died and two suffered serious injuries when the bomb they were carrying exploded prematurely in their car in Alexandria on Tuesday morning. Four people were in the car when the bomb went off. There were additional attacks in Port Said, Qalyubeya, Fayoum, and on a railway track in Beheira. [Ahram Online, DNE, Egypt Independent, Reuters, Aswat Masriya, 1/27/2015]
US, UK condemn deadly violence in Egypt
The United States and the United Kingdom condemned recent violence in Egypt, which has left nearly two dozen dead. US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki, during a press briefing on Monday, urged Egypt’s security forces to show restraint and “to provide a safe environment in which Egyptians can peacefully express their views.” UK Foreign Office Minister for Middle East Tobias Ellwood “deplored” the recent deaths, in a statement issued on Monday. Ellwood expressed deep concern, “by the use of deadly force by the police against demonstrators.” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein also condemned the killings, saying he was “deeply disturbed” by the deaths in clashes that have raged in Egypt since Friday. He demanded in a statement that Cairo “take urgent measures to bring an end to the excessive use of force by security personnel.” Freedom House also issued a statement deploring Egyptian authorities’ use of deadly force against unarmed demonstrators. Meanwhile, in a statement issued by ministry of foreign affairs, Egypt expressed dismay, depicting these reactions and condemnations as “imbalanced.” [ Aswat Masriya, 1/27/2015]
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Eight dead in Tripoli hotel attack; Clashes continue despite ceasefire
A car bomb exploded outside the Corinthia hotel in Tripoli Tuesday morning and killed eight total people; three security guards and five foreigners. It is unclear who attacked the luxury hotel, but the Tripoli-based government blamed forces loyal to the Tobruk-based House of Representatives. Meanwhile, despite a ceasefire between the Libyan National Army (LNA) and Misratan forces, continued clashes occur. LNA airstrikes have occurred around Zawiya, Ben Jawad, and in Benghazi targeting Islamist fighters. Also, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Tobruk-based Abdullah al-Thinni government, Hassan Saghir, was released after being abducted in Beida yesterday morning. [Reuters, Libya Herald, 1/27/2015]
Tobruk stops tanker from reaching Misrata; Crew held for fuel smuggling
Forces loyal to the internationally recognized, Tobruk-based government have stopped an oil tanker from docking at Misrata and redirected it to Tobruk. The tanker’s captain claimed he was contacted and told to redirect the 24,000 ton load to Tobruk or be bombed. Five crewmen from a Maltese oil tanker have also been jailed in Tripoli on smuggling charges for three weeks. The issue became public on Saturday when Bulgaria enquired about two of its citizens. The crew were arrested January 2, after being found adrift without power in Libyan waters and towed to Tripoli. [Libya Monitor (subscription), Libya Herald, 1/27/2015]
Hassi claims United States coming to the rescue
Omar al-Hassi, Prime Minister of the rival Tripoli-based government, announced his administration is collaborating with the US Justice Department on humanitarian reconstruction. Hassi said the United States would send food, medical supplies, and electricity generators as early as next week. There has been no such release by the US Department of Justice. Deborah Jones the US Ambassador to Libya shot down the claim by tweeting that the United Stated does not recognize or support the Hassi government. [Libya Herald, 1/26/2015]
Geneva dialogue recommences “in excellent atmosphere” says Leon
The UN-sponsored Geneva dialogue continued between representatives of Libya’s various factions, but without the General National Congress that is boycotting. The talks seek to add detail to the general agreements made at last week’s meetings on a ceasefire, confidence-building measures, and a national unity government. UN Special Representative Bernardino Leon said the talks had an “excellent atmosphere,” but not to expect immediate results. [Libya Herald, 1/26/2015]
Tunisia premier in talks after parties reject cabinet
Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid is in negotiations to revise his cabinet selections after three prominent parties stated their intention to reject his initial government. The Islamist Ennahda, leftist Popular Front party, and smaller Afek Tounes all rejected the proposed government and held talks with Nidaa Tounes to review the cabinet positions. If the parliament officially rejects the government, then President Beji Caid Essebsi would need to appoint a new prime minister to try forming a new government. President Essebsi also accepted the resignation of Mehdi Jomaa, the acting prime minister. [Reuters, 1/26/2015]
Turkey’s Erdogan says no to Syrian Kurdistan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country opposes the idea of a Kurdish-controlled autonomous government in northern Syria. “We do not want a new Iraq. What’s this? Northern Iraq,” referring to the Kurdish-controlled part of Iraq. “A northern Syria there after northern Iraq… It is not possible for us to accept this.” In other events, Turkish security forces security forces used tear gas and water cannons against a group attempting to cross into Kobani from the Turkish border town of Suruç, following the announcement from Kurdish forces that they have driven the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) from the Kurdish-Syrian town. [The Daily Star, Al-Arabiya, 1/27/2015]
Two rockets from Syria strike Golan Heights
At least two rockets launched from Syria struck the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights on Tuesday. Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said the fire “appeared to be intentional.” He declined to comment on whether the fire may have been connected to last week’s Israeli strike in southern Syria. A message on Lerner’s Twitter account said Israel responded with artillery towards the positions that launched the attack. [The Daily Star, Naharnet, AP, 1/27/2015]
Iraqi forces liberate Diyala from ISIS
Iraqi forces have “liberated” Diyala province from ISIS, retaking all populated areas of the eastern region close to the Iranian border. Iraqi forces claim that they have regained complete control of all the cities, districts, and subdistricts of Diyala province. Sunni politicians and tribal chiefs in Diyala have accused Shia fighters of killing at least seventy unarmed civilians who had fled clashes with ISIS. A local Shia official said it was too soon to draw conclusions and suggested ISIS could have been behind the deaths. [Al-Arabiya, The Daily Star, 1/27/2015]
Canadian troops again battle ISIS in Iraq
Canadian Special Forces have twice exchanged gunfire with ISIS in Iraq since the first confirmed ground battle between Western troops and ISIS earlier this month. Captain Paul Forget said, “Two similar events have occurred over the last week and, in both cases, Canadian special operations forces, again acting in self-defense, effectively returned fire, neutralizing the threat.” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Tuesday that Canadian forces are in Iraq to to advise and assist Iraqi and Kurdish forces to lead the combat against ISIS themselves but added that “if [ISIS] fire at us, we are going to fire back and we are going to kill them.” [Al-Arabiya, Naharnet, 1/27/2015]
Key political blocs reject UN backed talks with Houthis
On Monday, key blocs from the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), a coalition of Yemeni Leftist and Islamist opposition parties, pulled out of UN sponsored talks with the Houthis in protest against the group’s violent suppression of protesters in Sana’a. They also called on President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi to withdraw his resignation. [Asharq Al-Awsat, 1/27/2015]
Houthis release President’s Chief of Staff
An official representing the Houthi rebels says Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak has been set free, after his kidnapping set in motion days of political turmoil that prompted the president to resign. The official said that the former chief of staff has been released and handed over to local tribes in the southern province of Shabwa. However, there are conflicting reports on the ground over whether or not he has been released. [Al Masdar, AP, Al Arabiya, 1/27/2015]
US embassy closes to the public
The United States said on Monday it was closing its embassy in Yemen to the public for regular consular services after the government resigned under pressure from Houthi rebels. While the US embassy in Sana’a will not offer routine consular services until further notice, the State Department said the embassy itself remained open in Yemen. [Reuters, Al Masdar, 1/26/2015]
US drone strikes continue amid crisis
A drone strike on Monday hit a car killing three men believed to be al-Qaeda militants in a sign US security operations would continue despite a political crisis in Yemen. The attack by a remotely piloted plane in central Marib province was the first since the departure of Hadi. [Reuters, Al Jazeera, Al Masdar, NYT, 1/26/2015]
Algeria walks economic tightrope as oil falls
While for months officials repeated that the Algeria’s large foreign exchange reserves would shield the country from collapsing oil prices, Algerian prime minister announced that the crisis had reached Algeria’s economy. Algeria must now navigate a precarious balance between curbing high public spending without restricting a generous welfare budget that has helped stave off social unrest. Algeria seeks more foreign investment to help increase energy output—the source of 60 percent of state revenue—which has remained largely stagnant for the last three years. [Reuters, 1/26/2015]
Oil tankers in the front line of Libya’s two-government struggle
Caught in a struggle between rival governments and threatened by air attacks, oil shippers face higher costs and the possible loss of insurance coverage on Libyan trips. The turmoil is likely to raise insurance costs on shipments or even lead to Libya being excluded from insurance policies. The conflict could also mean contractual disputes may emerge. [Reuters, 1/27/2015]
Tunisia begins marketing ten-year US dollar benchmark
Tunisia, through its central bank, has opened books on a new ten-year US dollar denominated bond at a yield of 6 percent. The deal is expected to price on Tuesday with Natixis, Citigroup, and JP Morgan as the lead managers of the sale. Tunisia still faces security concerns, potential social discontent with high unemployment, and government debt exceeding 50 percent of gross domestic product, all of which will weigh on credit quality. [Reuters, Bloomberg, 1/26/2015]