Revolution in the Middle East and North Africa: Let Freedom Reign

The revolutionary wave in the Middle East and North Africa continues to push forth democracy but faces roadblocks. It all began on December 18 2010 when an uprising began. The revolution began in Tunisia, a small country run by a ruthless dictator. The demonstrations were caused by high unemployment, food inflation, corruption, poor living conditions and a restriction on freedom of speech. Seeing the outburst of democracy, a chain of unrest began across the nation. The next success story came out of Egypt, which after weeks of protest allowed their immoral dictator to be ousted from the country. However, 840 deaths were reported with over 6000 civilians injured and Cairo was declared a war zone. Currently, the situation is still tense in Egypt as the democracy is still struggling through its infancy. The current situation in Libya is perhaps the greatest story of struggle in the region. After 42 years of brutal dictation, the people of Libya have finally risen up to overtake their nation and turn it into a democratic haven. After weeks of protest the uprising has turned violent, causing NATO and other pro democratic nations to have to intervene. Currently, NATO forces control the airspace that lies above Libya, and continuously bombs government forces. The scene continues to be tense as rebels believe that NATO is not intervening enough and Gaddafi’s forces continue to push back on the rebels. With no clear end in sight, the Libyan crisis will continue to be at the forefront of the Arab uprising. Other crises in the North African region include: Syria, Yemen, Behran, Iran, Djibouti, Iraq, Jordan, Oman. As the crises continue, we continue to watch with heavy hearts and hopeful minds. Let freedom reign! By Sean, Jennie, Rosemary & Alex