Hours after Saudi announced the end to the first phase of fighting in Yemen, Houthi fighters captured the compound of an army brigade loyal to the government in Yemen’s central city of Taiz following heavy fighting. A Saudi air strike was conducted on the brigade headquarters shortly afterwards, residents said. The brigade, along with several other formations, had declared its loyalty to exiled president Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi, opening up a new front in the conflict against the Houthis. Militiamen in southern Yemen said late on Tuesday they would continue fighting the Houthis until they drove them out of the region, despite Saudi Arabia saying its month-old campaign against the Houthis had met its goals and that air strikes would stop. It is unclear exactly how much progress the weeks of bombing made against the Houthi rebellion. “Moving from one phase to another does not necessarily mean our efforts will be reduced, just that they will be distributed more evenly on the ground,” Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri said. The announcement to end Operation Decisive Storm followed what American officials said was pressure applied by the Obama administration for the Saudis and other Sunni Arab nations to end the airstrikes. The next phase of the operation, entitled Operation Restoring Hope, will focus on rebuilding the country. [ Al Arabiya, Reuters, BBC, New York Times, AP, Al-Masdar, 4/22/2015]
EGYPT | LIBYA & THE MAGHREB | SYRIA & ITS NEIGHBORS | YEMEN & THE GULF | ECONOMICS
US, Turkey concerned by sentencing of Egypt’s Morsi
The United States expressed concern on Tuesday after an Egyptian court sentenced Islamist former president Mohamed Morsi and fourteen of his supporters to twenty years in prison. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a press briefing that Washington would “review the basis” for the court’s decision and was “concerned by these sentences.” A similar statement was made by White House spokesman Josh Earnest who said the United States is concerned about the sentencing. Turkey also criticized the sentencing, saying in a foreign ministry statement that “arbitrary” trials in Egypt deepened doubts over the objectiveness of Morsi’s trial and “reinforced concerns” over the future of democracy in the country. Meanwhile, Amnesty International in a statement on Tuesday called for Morsi to be retried in a civilian court or to be released. Finally, a Brotherhood spokesperson said the Egyptian people “will not accept the verdicts by the judiciary of the coup,” and will continue the struggle to restore legitimacy. Egypt’s State Information Service issued a statement on Wednesday expressing its “deep disdain and resentment” over “the reactions of some countries and non-governmental organizations” to the verdict. [AFP, 4/22/2015]
Morsi faces new charges related to Raba’a al-Adaweya sit-in
Egypt’s former ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi was given fifteen days of detention on Tuesday over new charges related to a massive sit-in held by his supporters after his ouster in 2013. Along with other defendants, Morsi is charged with inciting his supporters to commit murder, demonstrate, and disturb the public peace through protests. Other Brotherhood figures have also been listed as defendants by the prosecution, including Essam al-Erian and Essam al-Hadad. Hours after Morsi’s conviction for instigating violence at the Presidential Palace clashes in 2012, the press syndicate said that it would seek an appeal through its legal counselor in coordination with journalist Hussein Abu-Deif’s defense team to hold those responsible for his death accountable. Abu Deif was among the ten people killed in the clashes. While Morsi was sentenced to twenty years in prison on charges of inciting violence, he was acquitted on murder charges. [Ahram Online, DNE, 4/21/2015]
Egyptian Brotherhood figure says younger members taking up leadership roles
Younger members of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt are taking up leadership roles as the movement renews itself despite the widespread jailing of its members, a senior Brotherhood figure told Reuters in Istanbul on Tuesday. “The overall attitude of the Brotherhood (is) more revolutionary because the generation taking it over is young and more revolutionary and they saw what kind of an Egypt we’d have if they don’t do what they have to do,” Amr Darrag said. He added, “Now you can find 29-30 year-olds running a governorate.” Meanwhile, political analysts told the privately-owned Shorouk that the low-ranking Brotherhood members and those living abroad are keen on reconciling with the current regime but the Brotherhood as a whole are still very loyal to their imprisoned dignitaries and supreme guide. [Reuters, 4/21/2015]
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Old loyalties, religious cohesion may frustrate ISIS in Libya
The Islamic State’s (ISIS or ISIL) executions of Christians show the group is exploiting Libya’s lawlessness, but tribal and political loyalties and the absence of a sectarian divide mean it is unlikely to grow as rapidly there as in Iraq or Syria. Libya has no Sunni-Shia divide the group could exploit to draw in supporters. The militant group also lacks strong ties to large Libyan tribes and must compete with former anti-Qaddafi rebel groups that have carved out their own fiefdoms. This has left ISIS splintered into small units that can launch high-profile attacks, but unable to control territory and provide services to win over locals. A concern for Western powers would be an ISIS expansion into Libya’s southern Sahara. Neither Libyan government holds much sway in the remote area bordering Niger, Chad, Sudan, and Algeria. Analysts say recruiting in the south would help ISIS cooperate with other militant groups, such as Tuaregs fighting in Mali or Nigeria’s Boko Haram. [Reuters, 4/21/2015]
Libya stops boats packed with hundreds of migrants; Chaos spurs human smuggling
Libya has stopped several boats packed with Africans trying to reach Italy’s shores in the past three days, detaining more than 600 immigrants according to officials. More than 36,000 have tried to cross the Mediterranean this year, the United Nations says, mostly using Libya as their launch pad and nearly 1,800 are feared to have died in the attempt. Libya’s chaos has spurred increased human trafficking, a spokesman for the Tobruk government said Tuesday, urging the world community to help his administration gain control of the rest of the country. The smuggling of migrants to Europe via Libya, generates massive amounts of illicit money, some of which ends up in the hands of militant groups fighting in Libya. [Reuters, AP, 4/21/2015]
Renewed fighting southwest of Tripoli; ISIS crucifies family in Derna
Renewed fighting broke out in the southwest of Tripoli this morning—in the Warshefana area and toward Gharyan—between Libyan National Army (LNA) forces allied with the Tobruk government and Operation Libya Dawn fighters allied with the Tripoli government. Last week, the LNA said it would launch a fresh offensive in the region within a few days to retake Tripoli. Meanwhile, eight members of the prominent Harir al-Mansouri family, including two women, were reported killed in Derna after refusing to hand over a family member to the ISIS. After refusing, ISIS attacked their home. Four men were publicly crucified as a warning to others not to challenge ISIS authority in the town. [Libya Herald, 4/21/2015]
Bomb disposal experts killed in Benghazi
Two Libyan army bomb disposal experts were killed today in Benghazi as they were trying to diffuse booby-trap explosives left by members of the Islamist coalition, the Benghazi Revolutionaries’ Shoura Council (BRSC). They were deactivating a device when a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at them. Earlier in the week, at least ten Libyan army soldiers were killed and twenty-five wounded in fighting, mainly in the Leithi district. [Libya Herald, 4/21/2015]
Bernardino Leon meets with Tunisian President
Tunisian President Béji Caid Essebsi met with UN Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) Bernardino Leon on Tuesday in the Carthage palace. Leon ensured that there is an entire coordination between Tunisia and the United Nations to reach a peaceful solution between the Libyan factions. He underlined the importance to be in contact with the Libyan sides to overcome the difficult security and humanitarian conditions that can affect the whole region. He also highlighted the prominent role Tunisia will play as one of Libya’s neighbors. [All Africa, 4/21/2015]
Over 114,000 flee fighting in Iraq’s Ramadi
More than 114,000 people have fled fighting over the past two weeks in the Ramadi area of Iraq’s Anbar province, the United Nations said Tuesday, expressing concern over the mounting problems faced by the displaced. The UN refugee agency said of the total number, about 8,000 remained in the western province of Anbar. “Some 54,000 have gone to Baghdad, 15,000 to Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan region of Iraq and 2,100 people have fled to Babylon,” UN refugee agency spokesman Adrian Edwards said. At least 2.7 million people have been displaced in Iraq since the beginning of 2014, including almost 400,000 from Anbar. In related news, Iraq security forces have recaptured areas lost earlier to ISIS militants in and around the battleground city of Ramadi. According to police Maj. Omar al-Alawni, government forces regained control of the city’s Pediatric and Maternity Hospital and the surrounding neighborhood late Monday night after fierce clashes with ISIS fighters. The hospital is located about 500 meters from a complex of government offices.[AFP, 4/22/2015]
ISIS besieges 228,000 in Deir Ezzor
A new UN report says the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) has more than 225,000 Syrians under siege in a single city. The latest monthly report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says the last time the United Nations was able to reach the besieged western neighborhoods of Deir Ezzor was in May 2014. The report says the only UN aid that made it in last month, via the world body’s humanitarian partners, was 140 sheep. The United Nations has been unable to deliver food and water treatment supplies for months to areas under the ISIS’s control, including the provincial capital of Raqqa. The World Food Program again in March was unable to reach 700,000 affected people.[AP, 4/22/2015]
Iranian general killed in failed Deraa attack
Anti-regime activists Tuesday said government forces suffered significant losses – including Iranian general Hadi Kajbaf – during a failed campaign to seize territory in southern Syria. Activists in Deraa also accused regime forces of summarily executing twenty-six men, mostly civilians, in the wake of the defeat. It said the dead were from around ten villages in the area of Busr al-Harir and the nearby rocky region known as the Lajat, where regime forces and paramilitary allies sought on Monday to attack rebel positions and cut off supply lines. However, hours after a Syrian army spokesman announced that the regime had achieved its goals, rebel groups repulsed the attack in fighting that saw them destroy half a dozen tanks and capture a number of prisoners, mainly Afghan nationals.[The Daily Star, 4/22/2015]
ISIS beheads opposition fighters in Damascus suburb
ISIS beheaded two opposition fighters accused of fighting the extremist group in a southern Damascus suburb, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor said Tuesday. Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said ISIS had kidnapped the fighters from Qadam, a Damascus neighborhood, and beheaded them in Hajar al-Aswad, a suburb of the capital. ISIS has a relatively limited presence in south Damascus, with its forces concentrated in the outskirts of Qadam and Hajar al-Aswad. The incident is the third time its militants are reported to have carried out beheadings in and around the capital. [AFP, 4/21/2015]
Saudi-led coalition resumes airstrikes after announcing their end
Hours after Saudi announced the end to the first phase of fighting in Yemen, Houthi fighters captured the compound of an army brigade loyal to the government in Yemen’s central city of Taiz following heavy fighting. A Saudi air strike was conducted on the brigade headquarters shortly afterwards, residents said. The brigade, along with several other formations, had declared its loyalty to exiled president Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi, opening up a new front in the conflict against the Houthis. Militiamen in southern Yemen said late on Tuesday they would continue fighting the Houthis until they drove them out of the region, despite Saudi Arabia saying its month-old campaign against the Houthis had met its goals and that air strikes would stop. It is unclear exactly how much progress the weeks of bombing made against the Houthi rebellion. “Moving from one phase to another does not necessarily mean our efforts will be reduced, just that they will be distributed more evenly on the ground,” Defense Ministry spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asiri said. The announcement to end Operation Decisive Storm followed what American officials said was pressure applied by the Obama administration for the Saudis and other Sunni Arab nations to end the airstrikes. The next phase of the operation, entitled Operation Restoring Hope, will focus on rebuilding the country. [ Al Arabiya, Reuters, BBC, New York Times, AP, Al-Masdar, 4/22/2015]
Houthis free Defense Minister and President’s brother
Militiamen in Yemen have released the Defense Minister, a brother of the exiled president and another general held since late March. President Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi’s brother is the intelligence deputy chief in charge of the southern provinces of Aden, Abyan and Lahj. Mediation efforts for the trio’s release were led by General Awad Bin Farid, head of the military police in Ataq, capital of the southern province of Shabwa. Observers said the trio’s release appeared to be a goodwill gesture by the militiamen, whose leaders have been sanctioned under a UN Security Council resolution passed this month. [AFP, 4/22/2015]
White House welcomes end to war in Yemen
The White House welcomed Saudi Arabia’s decision to halt airstrikes in Yemen on Tuesday and urged talks to end a crisis that threatened to draw regional powers into direct conflict. “The United States welcomes today’s announcement by the government of Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners of the conclusion of Operation Decisive Storm in Yemen,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey told AFP. With regards to Iranian support of the Houthi movement, President Barack Obama said on Tuesday on a segment on MSNBC that the US government had sent “very direct messages” to Iran warning it not to send weapons to Yemen that could be used to threaten shipping traffic in the region. [AFP, Reuters, 4/22/2015]
Egypt requests World Bank loan for health sector
The Egyptian government is negotiating with the World Bank to receive a new $300 million loan. The loan would support health care in government hospitals through the provision of medical equipment and removal of ineffective drugs. The ministry of health and various health departments across Egypt conducted a comprehensive survey of government hospitals to determine how the loan should be spent. Loan negotiations are ongoing to determine payments and the bank will supervise the project’s implementation. The World Bank said Egypt will receive the loan next month and that the repayment period will be between twenty-five and thirty years. [DNE, 4/21/2015]
Libya’s official government has no luck selling oil bypassing Tripoli
Libya’s internationally recognized government in Tobruk has so far failed to sell oil on its own via an account and middlemen in Dubai, as customers continue to buy crude directly from a state oil firm under the control of a the rival government in Tripoli. Tobruk Prime Minister Abdullah al-Thinni said this month that oil sales would be routed through a Dubai bank account belonging to a new state oil company reporting to his government. Several oil shipments from the eastern Hariga and Zueitina ports controlled by forces loyal to al-Thinni have left since his announcement, but oil officials said all were paid for via the established payment routes through the state oil firm and central bank in Tripoli. [Reuters, 4/21/2015]
Tunisia census reveals development disparity between interior and coastal regions
Tunisia’s census released this month illustrates widespread underdevelopment in the country’s interior regions compared to the coastal areas. A main trend is a chronic lack of economic and human development in the country’s interior and southern regions. The interior regions suffer from educational shortcomings and widespread unemployment. The census also reveals stark differences in opportunities for men and women while In every region; women are both more likely to be illiterate and unemployed. Generally, long-term unemployment has seen a significant increase, with over a third of those unemployed having remained so for more than two years. [Tunisia Live, 4/21/2015]
Some banks win, some lose in Dubai’s ‘Islamic economy’
Dubai’s drive to develop its Islamic finance sector is fueling growth of Sharia-compliant banking, but the benefits are unevenly distributed, with some lenders struggling to compete against burgeoning competition. Over the past eighteen months, some Islamic banks have appeared to benefit, but others have not, underlining the sometimes unpredictable consequences of government efforts to develop Islamic finance in the Gulf. Several initiatives announced by Dubai could have a significant impact on the Islamic banking sector, but have not yet materialized. [Reuters, 4/22/2015]