Africa

Home page

Africa

Anti-Government Protests Sweep Middle East, North Africa

20 February 2011 02:15 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Anti-government protests continued across the Middle East and North Africa Saturday, with clashes reported in several countries, APA reports quoting â€œThe Voice of Americaâ€.
In Yemen, at least one protester was reported killed after being shot in the neck. It is not clear whether he was shot by security forces or pro-government supporters.
In Bahrain, thousands of opposition protesters moved back into Pearl Square in the capital, Manama, after police and the army retreated. News reports say police had earlier fired tear gas at demonstrators in an effort to keep the square clear.
In Libya, news reports say security forces fired shots to disperse a crowd gathered in Benghazi to mourn protesters killed in a government crackdown on demonstrations. The Associated Press quotes a Libyan hospital official as saying snipers opened fire on the mourners. The AP says government forces also attacked a protest encampment in Benghazi earlier in the day.
In Algeria, police worked to hold back hundreds of anti-government demonstrators trying to rally in the capital Saturday. The protesters chanted â€œAlgeria free and democraticâ€ as they tried to reach a central square in Algiers, but the French News Agency says police turned back about 200 people who managed to enter.
In Djibouti Saturday, authorities detained three top opposition leaders. Djibouti’s chief prosecutor says the three were detained in connection with violent clashes Friday between opposition protesters and security forces.
Violent clashes also erupted this week between anti-government demonstrators and pro-government supporters in Jordan.
Protests have also taken place in Iran, where opposition websites have made calls for nationwide rallies Sunday to show support for opposition leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, and to mourn the deaths of two people who died in protests in recent days.