Restarting political dialogue in Yemen remains the only solution for ensuring the country’s future, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States said on Wednesday. He reiterated, however, that the Kingdom and its allies would not hesitate to use force should there be any further acts of aggression by the Houthi movement in Yemen. Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir said that Operation Restoring Hope, the second phase of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, seeks to restart the political process in the country, stop all Houthi transgressions against Yemenis, and increase efforts to send humanitarian aid and assistance to the country. The Houthis on Wednesday called for a complete halt to the air raids so warring parties could return to the negotiating table “under the sponsorship of the United Nations,” said spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam. The Saudi coalition struck cities across Yemen on Thursday despite the end of Operation Decisive Storm. [AFP, Asharq al-Awsat, 4/23/2015]
EGYPT | LIBYA & THE MAGHREB | SYRIA & ITS NEIGHBORS | YEMEN & THE GULF | ECONOMICS
Muslim Brotherhood announces new overseas bureau
An official of the now-banned Muslim Brotherhood said the group has been subject to an across-the-board restructuring in its leadership, as the movement announced the establishment of a new bureau operating overseas. Ahmed Abdel Rahman, head of the Brotherhood’s newly established office, said almost 60-70 percent of the Islamist movement’s leadership has been reshuffled, with youths assuming many of the major roles. The official said the new bureau would take care of hundreds of the group’s members who fled the security crackdown at home and press ahead with the fight against the Egyptian authorities that the movement accuses of mounting a coup against a democratically elected government. The bureau, whose location was not disclosed, comprises eleven members selected following elections in Egypt and abroad, including former ministers under the Brotherhood’s deposed president Mohamed Morsi, Amr Darrag, and Yahia Hamed, Abdel Rahman said. Asked about the Brotherhood’s political blunders, he said, “We were mistaken when we thought that a revolutionary course would restore stability to the country.” [Ahram Online, 4/23/2015]
Execution Brigade claims responsibility for Tahoon’s assassination, warns other police officers
An obscure terrorist group identifying itself as the Execution Brigade has claimed responsibility for the assassination of Wael Tahoun, the chief investigation officer of the Matariya Police Station. The group said the attack was meant to avenge lawyer Karim Hamdy, who was found dead in his cell at the Matariya police station on February 24. In a statement on Facebook on Wednesday evening, the group added, “We declare the start of a wide campaign of revenge against police officers implicated in the killing of January 25 martyrs up until now. Tahoun is not the first, and won’t be the last.” Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms researcher Abdel Rahman Gad, who also lives in Matariya told Mada Masr, “Most likely, his assassins are from Matariya. But we cannot say for sure that his killing was politically motivated. Even those with criminal records want to seek revenge against him. Torture at the Matariya police station does not differentiate between criminals and political activists.” [Egypt Independent, Mada Masr, 4/23/2015]
Arab military chiefs discuss joint military force
Arab military Chiefs-of-Staff met on Wednesday at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo to discuss the possibility of a joint military force, a military spokesperson said Thursday. A military statement said eighteen military leaders met to supervise and discuss prospects of the joint military force that was suggested during the Sharm al-Sheikh Arab Summit last month. The statement added this decision also came in light of “intertwined national security threats that extend across borders,” adding that a “collective mechanism for rapid intervention is needed.” In addition, this joint force is not to threaten the sovereignty of any nation, but is “for the sake of fighting terrorism,” the statement said. The group also discussed “operational procedures, mechanisms of action and the required budget for the establishment of such a force.” [DNE, 4/23/2015]
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Clashes between Libya Dawn, Misrata, and ISIS in Sirte continue
Violent clashes between the Tripoli-allied Misrata Battalion 166 and fighters belonging to the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) continued on Thursday in the coastal city of Sirte. Operation Libya Dawn, also allied with the Tripoli government, has conducted air strikes on ISIS positions in Sirte. The strikes targeted an ISIS command base set up in a conference center. Sporadic clashes have broken out over the past two months between ISIS and Tripoli allied forces, since the Tripoli government tasked its fighters with restoring security in the coastal city. [Libya Herald, AFP, 4/24/2015]
Essebsi and Ghannouchi receive joint award for ‘pioneers in peacebuilding’
The International Crisis Group has named Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi and leader of the Ennahda party Rached Ghannouchi, as joint recipients of the Founder’s Award for pioneers in peacebuilding. They were chosen for their unwavering dedication to pluralism, inclusion, and compromise during Tunisia’s democratic transition. Crisis Group President and CEO Jean-Marie Guéhenno stated, “Each award goes to a pioneer of peace, to a relentless fighter for the improvement of people’s lives, to someone who has built bridges, believed in change and mobilised others in the name of justice.” [Tunisia Live, 4/23/2015]
Tunisian accused in migrant boat disaster appeals in Italian court
Mohammed Alì Malek, a Tunisian and the presumed captain of a migrant boat that sank off Libya with the loss of more than 700 lives appeared before an Italian judge on Friday after prosecutors asked that he be charged with homicide and people-trafficking. The other suspect, Mahmud Bikhit, a Syrian has accused Malek of being the captain of the ship as well. Malek denied being in charge of the vessel and said that he was a migrant who paid his way onto the boat. In response to the crisis, European leaders pledged more ships, aircraft, and to triple the funds to save lives in the Mediterranean. [Reuters, 4/24/2015]
Military operation in Jebel Salloum ongoing
Three soldiers were wounded Thursday in clashes between the national army units and a terrorist group in Jebel Salloum, in the Kasserine governorate near the Tunisia-Algeria border. A spokesman for the Ministry of Defense added that an unknown number of militants have been killed during the operation. Reports indicate that one Tunisian soldier has been killed during the fighting. The Algerian army is conducting a military operation on their side of the border as well. [All Africa, L’Economiste Maghrebin (French), 4/23/2015]
United Nations invites Syrian parties to peace talks in Geneva in May
UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura has invited Syria’s government and opposition groups for separate talks in Geneva next. De Mistura, who is due to brief the UN Security Council later on Friday, plans for individual “low-key” talks with each of the main stakeholders over four to six weeks in the Swiss city. Major powers and regional players, including Iran, have been invited, but not the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) or the Nusra Front, which are classified as terrorist organizations. But some of those present at the talks would be able to communicate with them, said UN spokesman Ahmad Fawzi. [Reuters, AFP, 4/24/2015]
Rebels advance on regime in northwest Syria
Rebels, including Ahrar al-Sham and the Nusra Front, made gains Friday in a joint offensive on a regime bastion in northwest Idlib province. The assault, which began Thursday, has seen rebel groups seize four checkpoints around the city of Jisr al-Shughur, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Head of the Observatory Rami Abdel Rahman said the Nusra Front had conducted a series of suicide attacks on the city’s outskirts and had sent fifteen fighters with suicide belts into the city itself. The coalition of rebel groups seized control of two checkpoints Friday morning and were battling pro-government forces for three others around the city.[AFP, 4/24/2015]
United States weighs training Iraqis to call in US airstrikes in ISIS fight
A senior Obama administration official said Thursday that the United States was looking for ways to speed up US bombing raid on ISIS militants, including a plan to train Iraqi troops to spot targets for the airstrikes. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi complained during his visit to Washington last week that the United States was slow to carry out airstrikes on behalf of Iraqi forces. The White House has not authorized troops to accompany Iraqi forces on the battlefield and call in US and allied bombing attacks, hindering response time. The administration is considering whether to train a cadre of Iraqi Special Forces troops to help get US bombs to their targets more quickly. The use of Iraqi forces as air controllers would be a first since US troops went to Iraq in 2003. [NY Times, 4/24/2015]
Erdogan says Turkey’s ancestors never committed genocide
On the eve of the day marking the centenary of the Ottoman massacres of Armenians, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his nation’s ancestors never committed genocide. Erdogan said, “The Armenian claims on the 1915 events… are all baseless and groundless.” Even though Erodan rejects the term “genocide,” he said that he shares the pain of Turkey’s Armenian community over the deaths of their ancestors. On Thursday, shortly after Members of the European Parliament called on Turkey to recognize the genocide, Turkish EU Minister and Chief Negotiator Volkan Bozkir said, “The Turkish nation is comfortable because there is no point in Turkish history or in Ottoman history, which would embarrass us.” On Wednesday, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Austria in protest over Austrian lawmakers’ condemnation of the genocide. [AFP, 4/24/2015]
Iranian flotilla to Yemen turns back
An Iranian flotilla suspected of carrying weapons bound for rebels in Yemen reversed course and appeared to be heading home, averting a potential confrontation in the Gulf of Aden, US defense officials said Thursday. The cargo ships, accompanied by two Iranian warships, shifted course as a US aircraft carrier moved within 200 nautical miles of the flotilla and Saudi Arabian officials said their sailors would attempt to search the ships if they tried to dock in Yemen. [Wall Street Journal, 4/24/2015]
Yemen peace talks inevitable, says UN official
A renewal of talks on ending Yemen’s conflict is “inevitable” and behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts could bring results in the coming weeks, including a possible UN-hosted conference involving most parties, the head of UN operations in Yemen said Thursday. The Gulf nation of Oman is also involved in mediation. Paolo Lembo, the UN resident coordinator in Yemen, believes that despite the continued fighting “the resumption of peace talks is inevitable.'” He said, “Diplomatic discussions are occurring, invisibly, behind the scenes, and I know there is reason enough to believe that they should bring good results in the future, in the coming weeks.” [AP, Yemen Post, 4/24/2015]
More than one hundred children killed in a month of Yemen’s conflict
At least 115 children have been killed and 172 maimed in a month of fighting and air strikes in Yemen, the UN children’s agency UNICEF says. Coalition bombing killed about half, the agency said, as mines, gunshots, and shelling claimed others’ lives. A UNICEF spokesman in Geneva said the agency believed its figure of 115 was a conservative estimate. Johannes van der Klaauw, the UN humanitarian coordinator for Yemen, said the violence had disrupted supplies of food, fuel, water, and electricity across the country and left an estimated 2 million children unable to attend school. Additionally, Human Rights Watch released a statement yesterday accusing the Saudi-led coalition of violating the laws of war by bombing a humanitarian aid warehouse earlier this month. [BBC, 4/24/2015]
Saudi-led coalition will continue to combat Houthi violence
Restarting political dialogue in Yemen remains the only solution for ensuring the country’s future, Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States said on Wednesday. He reiterated, however, that the Kingdom and its allies would not hesitate to use force should there be any further acts of aggression by the Houthi movement in Yemen. Ambassador Adel al-Jubeir said that Operation Restoring Hope, the second phase of the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen, seeks to restart the political process in the country, stop all Houthi transgressions against Yemenis, and increase efforts to send humanitarian aid and assistance to the country. The Houthis on Wednesday called for a complete halt to the air raids so warring parties could return to the negotiating table “under the sponsorship of the United Nations,” said spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam. The Saudi coalition struck cities across Yemen on Thursday despite the end of Operation Decisive Storm. [AFP, Asharq al-Awsat, 4/23/2015]
Rebel seizure of Syrian border post hits exporters across region
Syrian rebels’ seizure of the main frontier crossing with Jordan has dealt a heavy blow to the Damascus government’s efforts to revive a once thriving export trade crippled by civil war, hurting businesses across the region. Western-backed insurgents took control of the Nasib crossing three weeks ago, closing the chief conduit for bilateral trade worth over $2 billion a year. Along with Syrian and Jordanian firms involved in the border trade, Lebanese exporters can no longer send goods by truck through Syria and Jordan to their major markets in the Gulf. Exporters are being forced to turn to a far more costly sea and land route via Egypt to reach consumers in the wealthy oil producing states. [Reuters, 4/24/2015]
Saudi Arabia saturates global crude market
Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, having abandoned last year its role of keeping global markets in balance, now has incentive to maximize output and undermine rival producers by using its reserve capacity. Just meeting its own domestic demand this summer will require a lot more fuel, some estimate. The increase – a snub to fellow members of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) calling on the kingdom to cut production – will heighten tensions when the organization meets in June. Oil plunged to a six-year low near $45 a barrel in January, six weeks after the Saudis overcame opposition within the group to keep up output despite surging US shale supplies. [Bloomberg, 4/23/2015]
Egypt’s Sisi approves $500 million World Bank loan to expand natural gas grid
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ratified on Thursday a $500 million loan agreement with the World Bank to fund a national natural gas project that will benefit 1.5 million households currently relying on traditional means of gas consumption. The initial agreement between Cairo and the World Bank was signed in September of 2014. By connecting new households to the country’s natural gas grid system, Egypt aims to save over $300 million annually in fuel subsidies. [Ahram Online, 4/23/2015]
Tunisia announces new measures to save tourism industry
Tunisia’s Minister of Tourism Salma Elloumi Rekik has announced several new measures aimed at aiding the country’s struggling tourism industry. Tourism is a key sector in Tunisia’s economy, providing 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and supporting thousands of jobs. Yet the country has seen a drastic drop in tourist numbers, especially after the attack at Tunis’ Bardo museum in March. Between January 1 and April 10 this year, the number of tourists visiting the country fell by 17.9 percent compared to the same period in 2014. Tunisia will introduce X-ray scanners at hotels, reduce taxes on security equipment, and relax visa restrictions to promote tourism and business. [Tunisia Live, 4/24/2015]