Hunger fuels discontent in the Middle East (Opinion)

Weeks of street protests across Tunisia culminated in the dramatic ouster of President Zine El Abidine Ali after 23 years in power. photo courtesy PressTVby Joel Brinkley

(HN, February 2, 2011) When the Middle East tumult began in Tunisia two months ago, demonstrators had barely a thought in their heads about throwing their president out of office. No, they had a larger problem. They were hungry.

Next door in Algeria, meantime, youths were setting government buildings afire and shouting "Bring us Sugar!" And after people first took to the streets in Jordan, Finance Minister Mohammad Abu-Hammour promised to lower commodity prices to "help the poor and middle class cope as global food prices rise."

The world is heading into a food crisis again, barely three years after the last one in 2008. That, not political reform, animated the riots and demonstrations across the Arab world and beyond -- until Tunisia's president fell from power on Jan. 14. After that, hungry demonstrators aimed higher.

Now, whatever the final results in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and other states that have been under siege, millions of people in these places still will not be able to afford enough food for their families.

The United Nations office that monitors global food supplies announced last month that world prices for rice, wheat, sugar, barley and meat have reached record levels and will probably continue to rise in the months ahead. That list of affected foods is far broader than last time. In 2008, the demonstrations were called "bread riots" because of the high price of grains.

Late last month, the World Bank warned that Yemen was "particularly vulnerable" to food-price shocks because the country is desperately poor and imports most of its food. A few days later, thousands of protestors took to the streets, and the government finally announced it would institute price controls. But Middle Eastern nations aren't the only victims.

Thirteen people were killed in Mozambique last fall during riots over the price of bread. Sri Lanka's president warned his people that they couldn't import food to mitigate the crisis because so many other nations are in serious trouble, too. In Kenya, five people actually starved to death, local media reported.

Around the world, the U.N. reports, nearly one billion people live at the edge of starvation. These are the people who live on something like a dollar a day, and when the prices of staples, like rice and corn and wheat, shoot up, they can no longer afford to buy any.

In Sri Lanka, for example, prices for those staples rose by 30 percent in recent months. Already, 15 percent of Sri Lanka's infants suffer from "wasting," Unicef says. That means they are starving to death.

Who's to blame for all of this? America and other wealthy nations, in large part. When commodity prices begin to rise, Western speculators start buying commodity shares, driving prices even higher. After hearing about poor wheat crops in Russia and Ukraine last August, speculators drove the wheat price up by 80 percent.

At the same time, when gasoline prices are high, as they are now, demand for ethanol increases. Ethanol is made from corn, and Washington offers subsidies for corn's use as fuel. The U.S. is the world's largest corn producer, but now 40 percent of the crop is converted to ethanol. As a result, corn prices have risen by 66 percent.

Unusually violent weather also played a role. Floods, droughts, storms and wildfires in Australia, the Philippines, Russia, Ukraine and South America, among other places, reduced crop yields. Agronomists blame climate change and predict worse in the years ahead.

But other villains hold responsibility, too. They are the past and current leaders of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Algeria and others of their ilk. They've had little control over global food prices. But they've wielded imperial control of their nations.

The Egyptian president lives in one of the world's most sumptuous palaces, once a luxury hotel with 400 rooms and a 6,340-square-foot ceremonial hall. Living there for nearly three decades, Hosni Mubarak knew full well that his people were hungry and desperate; 30 percent of the state's children grow up "stunted" because of malnutrition during the first years of life.

Regularly, union members and others held angry demonstrations over low wages, hundreds of them. To mollify them, sometimes Mubarak raised salaries a few pennies. But as successive food crises devastated his people, Mubarak, like his fellow dictators throughout the region, did little if anything to alleviate his peoples' misery -- watching their suffering from high windows in his grand manse. During the 2008 food crisis, his government actually cut bread rations.

Mubarak and the others brought this on themselves.

Joel Brinkley, a professor of journalism at Stanford University, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning former foreign correspondent for the New York Times.

This article first appeared on StAugustine.com

EGYPT'S EVOLUTION: View from Cairo. What We Couldn't Show You.

(HN, 2/2/11) - HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw had arrived in Cairo, Egypt on Thursday, January 27, 2011 from an assignment in Africa.  His hotel, the Four Seasons on the First Residence in Cairo had been about 65% full when he checked in, about 10% full when he left this past Monday 1/31/11.  Throughout his stay with Egyptian friends who live in the country, Bociurkiw, who had been to Cairo many times - even living there for four months in recent years - toured the city as demonstrators took to the streets in ever larger numbers as the days of protests for Egypt's future wore on. He had no internet or SMS for the length of his stay, only hard line phone and a mobile phone in later days. 

He has since been evacuated by the Canadian government (you can see his report below) through a chaotic airport experience to Frankfurt, Germany and now onto assignment in Africa.  Internet in Egypt has been sporadically restored just today inside the country, and with Bociurkiw out we are able to share his photographs of the historic Friday protests across Cairo, and bring you his eyewitness video report. 

-- HUMNEWS staff. 

Update on Wednesday, February 2, 2011 at 3:17PM by HUMNEWS

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM FRIDAY PROTESTS, CAIRO, EGYPT - 1/28/11, By MICHAEL BOCIURKIW.

      

(c) HUMNEWS, 2011

SCENES OF EGYPT'S EVACUATION PROCESS AT CAIRO AIRPORT, January 31, 2011

These are scenes from the Cairo International Airport as Canadian, Australian, US and British  citizens were evacuated from Egypt to Frankfurt, Germany - Monday, January 31, 2011.

 In these videos shot by HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw on his IPhone 4.  

Canadian, Australian, American and British travellers being processed for an evacuation flight at Cairo International Airport on January 31, 2011. Boarding an Air Canada Boeing 777 which served as an evacuation flight at Cairo International Airport on January 31, 2011. Then, passengers on a Canadian evacuation flight from Egypt disembarking from the Air Canada Boeing 777 at Frankfurt International Airport, Germany, February 1, 2011. Australian travelers evacuated from Egypt being processed at Frankfurt International Airport, February 1, 2011.

As Egypt Descends Further Into Chaos, Foreign Visitors Flee (Report)

By Michael Bociurkiw

(HN, January 31, 2011) - As protests in Egypt headed into possibly their most tumultuous phase since the January 25 start of open defiance of President Hosni Mubarak, thousands of tourists, business travellers and expatriate workers rushed to international airports to catch evacuation flights home or to nearby safe havens.Travellers boarding an Air Canada evacuation flight Monday evening in Cairo. CREDIT: M Bociurkiw

At just past 1900GMT Monday an Air Canada Boeing 777 chartered by Ottawa lifted off from Cairo International Aiport for Frankfurt carrying more than 200 Canadian and Australian nationals. As soon as the jet lifted off the runway the weary passengers aboard burst into applause and cheers, relieved to be leaving behnd a city very much on edge.

The anxiety was clearly visible: a Canadian couple from Vancouver Island said they and other tourists endured a sleepless night due to gunfire and thugs who temporarily took over their Cairo hotel.

As if to add insult to injury the Air Canada relief flight almost missed its take-off slot when, at the last minute, Cairo International Airpoprt ground handling crew demanded an unexplained $2000 fee. Livid Canadian Embassy officials quickly gathered up a collection from passengers and the flight was eventually allowed to depart.

There were also indications that airport authorities were deliberately slowing the processing of evacuation flights: the Canadian-Australian flight was threatened with a delay by security officials who claimed the passengers werent properly screened, and then further delayed when no tow could be found to push back the jet from a remote stand.

The hitches infuriated Embassy officials but also many of the travellers - many of whom had harrowing stories to tell of enduring spreading lawlessness throughout the country. Some said the quick exit marked their last experience with Egypt.

The evacuation flights were so hastily organized that some airlines, including Air Canada, brought their own maintenance crews along - just in case of hitches on the ground in Cairo.

Like Canada, several other countries - including the United States, Turkey, Switzerland and Germany - chartered planes to take their stranded nationals out of Egypt. Canada was billing each passenger $400 for the evacuation flight to Frankfurt. Most passengers said they didnt mind absorbing the cost but some questioned why nationals of other countries were offered free passage by their respective governments.

A Canadian passport holder born in China was reportedly told by Chinese officials at the airport he was eligible for free passage to Beijing.

The measures to evacate foreigners were due to the deteriorating security situation as well as massive cancellation of outbound flights, especially by national flag carrier Egypt Air. There are unconmfirmed reports that Cairo Airport will close for at least two days later this week.

Today marked the most chaotic day at Cairo Airport since the crisis began almost a week ago. Tempers flared amid several delays and cancellations. HUMNEWS observed a near riot at desks designated for flights to Gulf countries.

The rush to leave is not misplaced: On Tuesday opposition leaders are calling for a one-milion-person march in central Cairo - just as the Mubarak Administration appears to be positioning itself for a major confrontation. This HUMNEWS correspondent saw several dozen tanks lined up near an urban military base, ready to roll at a moment's notice. There were also several reports of foreign journalists being harassed by security officials: an Al Jazeera crew was among many detained. Others are sauid to have had their equipment confiscated.

An indication of the widespread fear is that many Egyptians residents and visitors who hold Canadian and other passports could be seen queing up for evacuation flights.

As tourists, business travellers and expatriates bid goodbye to Egypt, tourism industry officials fretted about the huge blow to a sector that employs millions of Egyptians and is one of the top foeign exchange earners. The Four Seasons Cairo at First Residences was among many luxury hotels in the city where occupancy dipped to single digit figures.

The immediate impact of the exit of so many foreign professionals at once is also difficult to gauge. For example, the Air Canada flight carried at least a dozen staff from the Canadian International School in Cairo. There was no indication when they would return to resume teaching.

What is certain is that millions of Egyptians will be forced to endure a temporary economic slowdown - perhaps the price to be paid for removing the current regime.

David Hill, a British expatriate who manages a building site employing 1000 Egyptians, said it was impossible for him to to continue construction at a time when all of his employees insisted on staying home to protect their properties and valuables.

(Report) - Fleeing Egypt Tourists Leave Chaos In Their Wake. `Million Person March' Planned.

(HN-1/31/11) Cairo, Egypt.  The Cairo International Airport was mass chaos today as many countries evacuated citizens to their home countries and many Egyptians attempted to make their way back to their home towns from major cities such as Cairo and Alexandria.

Many foreign citizens, regardless of whether or not they wanted to leave, even given the dangers of staying, almost have to go. After a foreign citizens home government issues a travel warning and then an evacuation order, often times the citizen is essentially giving up the security and concern of their consulate offices and are on their own. In fact many insurance companies will not support claims of citizens who have defied their own governments orders. 

And, in the case of Egypt, even if your home government issues an order to evacuate, you may even have to pay for the privilege of leaving.  Canadian citizens who arrived at Cairo’s airport today for their flights out were told they needed to sign a waiver for a bill that would later be sent to them of $400 so they could leave the country and make it just as far as Frankfurt, Germany. While they may make their flights, they were told their luggage may not; and many did not have much with them as the call for evacuation came only with hours to pack.

Today, Lufthansa had many of the flights out of Cairo after Delta and several other major carriers stopped operations into and out of the Egyptian capital.

Michael Bociurkiw, our correspondent in Cairo stated that, “On the way here to the airport from the Four Seasons hotel on the First Residence, the taxi driver took another way around to avoid Tahrir Square.  In one part of the city I saw at least 40-50 tanks lined up in a column.  Many intersections were still being guarded it looked as though by private militia, and I saw absolutely no national police in the streets.”  He added, “Almost all of the legendary historical sites that I could see such as the Cairo Zoo and the entrance to the Pyramids at Giza were being guarded by Egyptian military vehicles”.

Bociurkiw goes on to say that the “Four Seasons hotel on the First Residence was operating at only 10 percent today. The manager stated they are not going to close because once you close its very hard to open again. And I spoke to a construction company owner early this morning who said he had to lay off close to 1000 men because his projects are no longer going forward with the crisis on. The impact on businesses in the country is staggering”.

Once he arrived at the Cairo airport, Bociurkiw spoke with many of those waiting in long lines at the airport to find out how they were getting out of the country.  All had been told that everything was being done to get them out of the country by 7pm local time tonight, even though a new curfew was put into place today restricting people's movements from 3pm to 8a.

A CBC television crew who Bociurkiw was interviewed by, told him that they were already aware of the 6 Al Jazeera journalists who had been arrested and then later released without their camera equipment and that many reporters they were in contact with had taken to shooting still photos on their blackberries and Iphones as a way to document the crisis.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the opposition in Egypt has called for a `Million Man’ style march in order to show their displeasure with the steps the Mubarak government has taken so far in addressing the demonstrators concerns and this morning the Egyptian Army issued a statement essentially endorsing the protesters rights to demonstrate.  

 ---HUMNEWS staff

(Report) - Could Egypt's Legendary and Lucrative Tourism Industry Be Devastated?

(Photo: Tourists riding camels @Egypt's Giza Pyramids. File) (HN-1/30/11) – Cairo, Egypt.  As parts of the Egyptian capital go up in smoke so too is the country’s lucrative and crucial tourism industry. 

“It could take us two years to return to the level we’re at right now“, said the manager of one of Cairo’s 5-star hotels.

He added that while other previous events did little to the harm the industry – such as the April 2006 attack on Jewish tourists in Dahab; and the January 2010 shooting of Coptic Christian bus tourists in Upper Egypt; they had nowhere near the `in your face’ factor of the current uprisings – which have seen Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and many other major tourist sites transformed into veritable war zones.

Egypt has six thousand years of recorded history. Ancient Egypt was among the earliest civilizations on the planet.  For millennia, Egypt maintained a strikingly complex and stable culture that influenced later cultures of Europe, the Middle East and Africa.  Beginning in the early 19th century — from when Napoleon’s French forces invaded Egypt — interest in Egyptology and the ancient world spread across the world; culminating with the modern tourism industry which began with the findings by British archaeologist Howard Carter in 1922 of King Tut’s tomb which urged this fascination laying the foundations for the modern tourism industry in the country.

Because much of the violence occurred just steps away from many of Cairo’s major hotels many tourists and business travelers were exposed to tear gas, horrifying scenes of vandalism and even live fire. The site of tanks and the sounds of jet fighters and helicopters have scared the living daylights out of many tourist visitors.

(Photo: Cairo International Airport, Courtesy WikipediaHUMNEWS spent the day visiting many tourist sites, hotel and visitor locations and found long lines of rattled tourists rushing to catch planes out of the country. Many had arrived here on prepaid vacations that were abruptly cut short when the chaos began to escalate after Friday’s mass demonstration.

Several countries including Turkey, India, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Japan, and the US will begin evacuating their citizens Monday.

As recently as Saturday many luxury hotels in Cairo were already operating low - below the 20% occupancy level. Normally the average rate of occupancy during season is about 75%. The manager of one international chain property in Central Cairo said he may temporarily close his 366 room hotel on the Corniche El Nil. This same manager said he was attacked by armed men Saturday evening while attempting to drive home.

As the chaos continues to spiral out of control, the iconic Nile River, the longest river in the world, has gone from being a virtual water highway to an empty expanse for miles. Grand tourist boats and elegant Falukas are all docked along the banks of the river because of a lack of business – increasing as the days goes on - and a restrictive nighttime curfew – also more constrained by the day.

Many hotels are struggling to maintain service standards as employees strain to make it to work and (Photo: Cruise ships on the Nile River, Courtesy Wikipedia)supplies run short.

Because of widespread looting hotel managers are going to unprecedented measures to secure their properties at night. The Four Seasons Cairo at the First Residence in the Giza district boarded up its entrance way, turned off lights and drew curtains at dusk. The Grand Hyatt Hotel on the opposite side of the river – and much closer to the protests in Tahrir Square – hastily barricaded its entrance with banquet tables and chairs. Most of its popular food and beverage outlets including the Hard Rock Café Cairo were shuttered.

The widespread fear is not misplaced. In the last few days several shops, malls and even some hotels were attacked and looted by roving groups of looters. Some had even managed to breach security at the extremely popular Egyptian National Museum in Central Cairo and damage some of the ancient displays. And since for the first time since anyone can recall the Giza Pyramids have been closed indefinitely.  So has the Cairo Zoo also located in Giza. Because most of the police have disappeared off the streets of cities, a sense of lawlessness has taken hold.

The tourism industry is one of the largest income industries for Egypt – bringing in an estimated $11.6bn (£7.3bn) in last year and employing about 12 percent of Egypt's workforce.  Last year more than 13 million people visited Egypt, drawn by its stunning beaches, ancient sites, value for money and relatively safe reputation. The US, the UK, Europe, the Arab Gulf states and Russia are the top markets for the industry. The Sinai Peninsula is renowned for its azure waters and is a popular tourist destination for Israeli tourists.

(Photo: Sphinx at Alexandria, Courtesy Wikipedia)The harsh blow to the tourism industry comes as many new hotel properties are being built and are coming online in Cairo and Alexandria, and the expansion of the international airports in both Cairo and Alexandria are nearing completion.

Because of its rich history and well developed tourism infrastructure, Egypt has become a magnet for retired, well-heeled Western travelers. HUMNEWS spoke to many visiting couples in the last few days, many forced to cut short their dream vacation. One American couple from New Hampshire arrived in Cairo on Friday only to be told that their excursion to Upper Egypt had been cancelled and that they would have to depart the country less than 48 hours after arriving.

The crisis escalates.

The first priority of many visitors today was to leave the country as soon as possible. However a quick exit has been complicated by a complete nationwide shutdown of the internet.  Mobile phone text messaging has also been constrained.  Tour operators who rely on internet for bookings have been completely paralyzed.

The national flagship airline carrier – Egypt Air is completely overwhelmed by the crisis. Its website has crashed and many travelers complain that accessing the call center is nearly impossible. The ongoing curfew which will be extended Monday from 3p-8a means the carrier will have to adjust its flight schedule once again.

The curfew and information vacuum have forced many tourists to make a mad dash to the airport to catch flights home. Most arrive to Cairo International Airport to find impossibly long lines, delayed or cancelled flights and few check-in staff. There have also been complaints from stranded American and Canadian travelers for not being able to reach consular assistance lines of their home countries by telephone.

In addition to the tourists the country has a large expatriate population of mostly Thai, Sudanese, Eritrean, Somali and Iraqi. Many of whom are also wondering what to do. Stay, or go?

When HUMNEWS visited Cairo International Airport Sunday it was a complete scene of confusion – many travelers have been forced to stay overnight because of the curfew and cancelled flights.  Many Egypt Air aircraft have been parked on remote aprons of the airfield as demand for flights to and from Egypt have taken a fall.

Monday is again another work day in Egyptand it could be another day of unrest. For tourists, it still remains a day to try to leave this troubled country.

-        By HUMNEWS Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo who has only hotel TV and hard line and mobile phone; no internet or SMS, as told to HUM staff.

The View From Cairo, Egypt: Day 6 of Unrest as Observed on the Streets

(Photo: Nile River, Cairo, Egypt. Courtesy, AStantin.com)(HN-1/30/11) -- With a ten kilometer line of sight vantage point from where he can see th Nile River, after spending the day roaming the streets of Cairo with a longtime Egyptian friend, HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw says that he sees something he has never experienced in all his time in the ancient and now chaotic city, "absolutely no vehicle traffic on any of the streets, bridges or on the Nile river where dozens of tourist boats normally dot the waterway at night. It's eery after such a day of demonstrations just hours ago." 

Bociurkiw has been staying at the Four Seasons just near the on the October 4th bridge near the Cairo zoo for the past two days, and says the hotel manager tells him the hotel itself is now "only 25 percent full". 

"The only thing you can hear tonight with my window on the 16th floor of the hotel open is the wind and a dog barking," says Bociurkiw in a phone call. 

"You can hear gunshots every now and then".

At full capacity Cairo is one of the densest and oldest cities in the world with 15 to 20 million people filling its neighborhoods. The country has one of the largest standing armies in the world with almost half a million troops. 

There is still no internet connectivity, and the country's mobile phone service is running now, but spotty and "I still can't receive text messages," says Bociurkiw.  

He reports what other news media is also observing which is that, "one of the strangest things we observed on the streets today was almost no police presence in trying to stop the crowds, nor security forces openly stopping the looting or things like 'pop up' checkpoints. What we did see, ironically were all these trucks or lorries which are usually reserved for arrested people, full with police in them, just driving around. But they never got out of the vehicles to stop anyone. The police just sat by while things happened," Bociurkiw said.

"It seems more and more that people here are feeling the lack of police involvement in the past two days is a deliberate tactic by the government here," he says. 

Bociurkiw has been to Egypt many times and has, in the past lived there for a 6 month period.  His friend Marwa who lives in Cairo has also been travelling about with him throughout the day today. They observed hundreds of shop and stores broken into, cars overturned in the streets and makeshift checkpoints and bullet casings littering the streets and a steady stream of tear gas filling the air. 

Bociurkiw remains in Cairo as day 6 of Egypt's unrest dawns. 

Sunday is a work day in Egypt and the beginning of the week. 

-HUMNEWS staff

Mubarak says a new government will be appointed but, shows no signs that he is stepping down (News Update)

Egyptian President Hosini Mubarak tried to diffuse enormous discontent among the Egyptian people Friday night by announcing that a new government is on the way. He gave no indication that he himself planned to step down, despite increasing calls for him to do so. 

Mubarak, who assumed power in Egypt 30 year ago and is now 82 years old, made the announcement that a new government would begin being formed on Saturday following a day of widespread protest, demonstrations and violence.

-HUMNEWS staff

Update on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 5:29AM by HUMNEWS

(Breaking News) - Egyptian television is reporting that the country's cabinet has formally submitted its resignation.

Update on Saturday, January 29, 2011 at 5:51AM by HUMNEWS

(Breaking News) - HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo, Egypt says street protestors on Day 5 of unrest talking of cabinet resignation say, "This step is not enough.  We want total regime change".

The turning point in Egypt (Breaking News Report)

(HN, January 28, 2011) Clouds of acrid smoke are rising over central Cairo as thousands of protesters, men, women and children from all walks of life continue to take to the streets of Egypt.

The protests, which began in earnest, at the conclusion of the Muslim Friday prayers, around 1pm local time, started with a few thousand people taking to the streets in and around Tahrir square. – Thahrir  square is the main square in Cairo and center of government buildings.

The government security forces were clearly prepared stationing thousands of well armed riot police in strategic locations around the city – specifically around bridges and government buildings.

At first many Egyptians took in the events from little coffee shops watching the protest unfold on Al Jazeera as they decided whether or not to join in. – It was so quiet at first that it appeared that perhaps the disconnecting of the Internet and mobile phones by the Egyptian government may have actually succeeded in destabilizing the protests.  

As the afternoon has worn on it is clear that Egyptians have decided to take to the streets as the swell of protesters continues to grow well into the early evening hours in Cairo.

From HUMNEWS’ current vantage point in Giza a non-stop stream of demonstrators continues to grow carrying signs and shouting anti-Mubarak slogans as they march towards the bridge crossing the Nile in an attempt to cross into central Cairo and head to Tahrir square.

The number of riot police has also increased as has the number of water cannon trucks and use of tear gas. HUMNEWS observed police utilize, with no provocation, water cannons and tear gas on demonstrators as they stood stoically and got completely soaked.

Plainclothes secret policemen dragged protesters out of the crowd, kicking and beating them as they were loaded into lorries and driven away.

A protester in his 40’s named Mohammed who works as an importer/exporter spoke with HUMNEWS blocks away from Tahrir square, when asked what he hoped would happen he echoed the comments of many other interviewed saying: “I hope the government goes away.” When asked if that was realistic he clasped his hands together to illustrate the collaboration between the government, police and military forces and shrugged.

Demonstrators encountered by HUMNEWS have been exceedingly friendly and helpful at times protecting foreigners from tear gas and other obstacles and making way for photographers and cameramen to capture the historical events taking place – with the Interent being shut down images are more difficult to get out of the country - was witnessed by the lack of photos in this article.

As the day is now turning into evening there are reports that foreign journalists are being targeted and rounded up and taken “elsewhere” by police. As one BBC reporter said the police have set many red lines today so that if you breath you have crossed the line.

Egypt is now different - there is no doubting the dynamic on the street.

 - Reported by HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo, Egypt

Update on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 11:21AM by HUMNEWS

The government has announced that there is now a curfew set to begin at 1600 GMT. Anyone on the streets can and will be arrested. Although it is clear now that the number of protesters outnumber the military and security police.

HUMNEWS was out in the Giza district where the swell of protesters continues to grow. Protesters have overtaken 3 army verhicles, and a monument near the Shareton hotel at the the foot of a bridge leading into the center of Cairo where protesters are heading and being handed water by onlookers in the area.

A young protester spoke to HUMNEWS and when asked if he was scared he said, "no, because my life is dead". This is a common sentiment among young people who have felt the effects of the rising cost of living and continue to make very little money.

It is also being reported that Mubarak will make a statement on state television later this evening.

Update on Friday, January 28, 2011 at 2:00PM by HUMNEWS

Egypt's military has deployed troops and tanks to enforce the curfew, which is now being enforced in all the country's cities as protests demanding the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak continue.

Protesters have attempted to storm the state TV building and Foreign Ministry so far unsuccessfully. For the first time there have been some shots fired and reports of looting.

As one female protester told HUMNEWS on the streets of the Giza district, "I have been here for hours and am not leaving until this cowardly government goes away."

Senior ruling party figures have acknowledged for the first time that thare are facing a potential revolution and called on Pres. Mubarak to institute "unprecedented reforms." "Nowhere in the world can the security forces put an end to revolution," Mustafa al-Fekki, chairman of the Egyptian parliament's foreign affairs committee, told Al Jazeera. "The security option alone is not sufficient and the president is the only one who can put an end to these events."

It is still being reported that Mubarak will take to the airwaves on state television later this evening.

Egypt Air has announced that it will cancel all flights for the next twelve hours. There has been very little in the way of movement from boats that usually go up and down the Nile filled with locals and tourists alike.

A Government Challenged on the Streets of Cairo - By Victoria Hazou (Photo Essay)

Cairo-based Canadian photographer Victoria Hazou captured these images of protesters on the streets of the Egyptian capital.

 

Protests Erupt Throughout Egypt: "Twitterized Revolution" (UPDATED 1540GMT)

(HN, January 26, 2010) - In what is being described as an extraordinary moment for Egypt, thousands of protestors from all walks of life hit the streets of Cairo, Alexandria and other cities Tuesday to vent their outrage at the 30-year rule of the Hosni Mubarak regime. 

Smaller protests were reported today (Wednesday) in central Cairo and other cities amid signs the government was drawing a new line in the sand: as many as 800 people have been reportedly arrested.

As dusk fell yesterday, reports began to emerge of teargas, water cannon and rubber bullets used by police against protestors. Indeed by 1am local time, riot police moved in with force to clear Cairo's central Tahrir Square of people. Some estimates put the number of people in the square at 20,000.

News agencies report that at least four people have now died from protests.

A HUMNEWS source in central Cairo said it appeared that mobile phone networks were being constrained or shut down for a second day today. Activists on social networking sites said authorities have been blocking popular social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. (For its part, Twitter has confirmed its services are being blocked in Egypt).

Thousands of protesters, some throwing rocks and climbing on top of an armoured police truck, clashed with riot police in the centre of Cairo. Police responded with water cannon, batons and tear gas. Demonstrators were shouting "Down with Mubarak," and "demanding an end to Egypt's grinding poverty, corruption, unemployment and police abuses."

Also today, Amnesty International called on Egyptian authorities to refrain from using excessive force against demonstrators. “We witnessed reckless policing yesterday with the security forces relying on tear gas and using rubber bullet as a first resort” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme.

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry was quoted as saying that public gatherings, protests and marches will no longer be tolerated. The authorities have vowed to arrest and prosecute anyone found to be taking to the streets against the government.

(In Rome today, Egypt's trade and industry minister, Rachid Mohamed Rachid, told a news conference  there is no risk of destabilization. "I think the discontent can be managed," he said).

Nonetheless, Twitter feeds were full of notices about another mass protest on Friday. There are reports that officials will cut power to areas of Cairo if protests continue.

One tweet that has been widely circulated says: "A call for a one million protester march this Friday after prayers at around 1pm - this is for everyone Christians and Muslims."

One of the photos of protests in Cairo that went viral over the InternetAs with the historic protests in Tunisia earlier this month, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook appeared to have played a major role in mobilzing people. One Twitter post called the events in Egypt a "Twitterzied Revolution."

Social networking sites are not only being used to mobilize people. One tweet being circulated pleaded for owners of wireless networks to remove passwords so that people on the ground could continue reporting on developments to the outside world. Others were being advised to send mobile phone credit to anyone who needed a top-up.

"Anyone with wireless connection at home near to Tahrir Square, remove the password so ppl can access the Net to keep in touch," said one tweet that quickly went viral.

As the sun set, one Tweet said a huge neon portrait of Mubarak near the Raml Station in Alexandria had been shattered.

It is impossible to predict where the protests will go and for how long. The Egyptian security apparatus is known for maintaining a tight grip on the country, which has been under emergency rule for years.

Nonetheless, security forces were clearly caught off guard by the widespread protests. One observer said that, unlike the Tunisian protests, the gatherings in Egypt today were small and numerous - difficult for a security apparatus to control.

Western news agencies too - spread out thinly with breaking news in Lebanon, Tunisia, Albania and the World Economic Forum in Davos - seemed to have few resources on the ground in Egypt.

Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday issued a statement condemning the widespread internet censorship and attacks on journalists by police. It added that access to several local online publications were blocked - including Al-Badil, Al-Dustour and Al-Masry.

Some analysts say Egypt - with its large numbers of unemployed, disenfranchise youth and yawning disparities between rich and poor - is a "Tunisia" waiting to happen.

Poverty and joblessness are widespread in Egypt, where the population may exceed 100 million by 2020. The UNDP Human Development Index (2006) ranks Egypt 111 out of 177 countries. Recent estimates from the World Bank show that 23% of the population live below the national poverty line with more than 12% of children under the age of five suffering from malnutrition.

- HUMNEWS staff, agencies

(EXCLUSIVE REPORT) As Landmark Secession Referendum Ends in Southern Sudan, Sudanese Diaspora in the U.S. Await the Outcome After Voting For Independence

(HN, Jan. 15, 2010) – On Saturday, January 14, 2011 a group of Sudanese ex-patriates living in the Southern United States, travelled to Nashville, Tennessee to vote for the possible secession of South Sudan from Sudan.  HUMNEWS was along for the bus ride which ultimately led to South Sudan being voted into existence - creating the world's 238th nation territory. 

--- Max Ramming was along for the ride and here is his natural sound video piece, in the words and voices of those who experienced the event.

Southern Sudan 55-Year Quest for Freedom (Perspective)

By Hugo Odiogor

(HN, January 9, 2011) - A 55-year quest for freedom in southern Sudan makes a crucial home run today when over four million voters step out to cast their vote either to remain with their Arab and Muslim brothers or to become an independent state. The stakes are high for both sides and for Africa as a whole.Southern Sudan has considerable agricultural potential, but a lack of infrastructure - such as roads and storage facilities - and ongoing insecurity has limited production. CREDIT: Caroline Gluck, OXFAM

Sudanese President Omar Hassan El-Bashir pledged last week to abide by the result of today’s referendum, thereby dousing fears of a possible return to the trenches, in the event of southern voting to end its 113-year association with the Arab north.

El-Bashir, facing indictment in the International Court of Justice at The Hague, made what could be his last visit to the South as a united country last week and gave the world the assurance the north will not resort to violence to thwart the decision of the south. The vote is the result of a 2005 peace deal, which ended a 55-year conflict that has claimed the lives of two million people and left twice as many displaced.

El-Bashir held talks with southern Sudanese leader, Sylva Kiir, on issues bordering on citizenship rights, resource control, border demarcations, and the fate of the oil-rich Abyei, which is supposed to vote later on whether it should become part of the north or to join the south. Today’s referendum is part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended one of Africa’s longest-running civil war. In the north, the ruling National Congress Party, led by Omar El-Bashir, is campaigning for unity while  the former rebels under SPLM decided “to campaign for what the people want.”

Before the closure for registration last week, at least 3.4 million people in Sudan have registered to vote while Sudanese in Diaspora are also allowed to vote. Reports said aid agencies have been assisting to educate the illiterate rural population on how they will choose between two images on the ballot paper.

One of them is that of clasped hands symbolising “ unity.” The second symbol is a “single hand”, signalling separation from Khartoum. The vote for separation has united the diverse southern communities who are often divided along ethnic lines. There have been pro-separation rallies as the people look forward to end centuries of slavery and abuse at the hands of the Arabs in the north.

Sudan is located in the north-eastern part of Africa. It is the 10th largest country by land mass, combining the size of France, Britain, Germany and Belgium, put together. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea, to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, Kenya and Uganda to the southeast, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central Africa Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west and Libya to the northwest. The River Nile, world’s longest river, divides the country on the east and west.

Khartoum is the political, cultural and commercial capital of the nation, while Omdurman remains the largest city. Its population of 42 million people, Arab and Nubian origins who are Sunnis and the Dinkas and other diverse groups in the South.

Islam is the official and largest religion, while Arabic and English are the official languages. The pro-Islamic policies of the government led to a second civil war in 1983,  followed by a bloodless coup d’etat in 1989. Under the dictatorial leadership of El-Bashir, Sudan has initiated a series of macroeconomic reforms which resulted in its economy being rated amongst the fastest growing in the world. Sudan is rich in natural resources including petroleum, with China and Japan as its main partners.

The British began the process of divide and rule in 1922, when the northerners were not allowed to travel over the 10th parallel south and southerners travel over the 8th north. This ensured that Muslims were stopped from spreading their faith southwards while the British supported the influx of Christian missionaries to the south. This was the basis for the dichotomy that existed till date.

The two cultures were never given a proper opportunity to interact, in the 55 years of the country’s independence. The north imposed its dominance by force and attempted to impose Sharia on southern Christians where illiteracy is almost 100 per cent; poverty is rife, healthcare is non-existent and starvation a frequent blight.

Flashpoints of conflict

Separatist movements in regions such as Darfur and the Nuba Mountains and  border areas are watching the development in the vote today; in the same way other African and Arab countries are watching the development in Sudan.

‘Under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which brought civil war to an end, two referenda were agreed: one for southern secession or unity and the other to give Abyei the opportunity to choose to be part of the north or the south.

Oil diplomacy

Sudan has achieved great economic growth by implementing macroeconomic reforms and finally ended the civil war by adopting a new constitution in 2005 with rebel groups in the south, granting them limited autonomy to be followed by a referendum about independence in 2011.

The discovery of oil in the southern part of Sudan has been one of the problems of the country. It produces 500,000 barrels every day. Eighty per cent of the oil is in the south, while the pipeline runs to the  north. It accounts for 70 per cent of government revenue and 93 per cent of its exports. South produces vast majority of oil, but north has means of processing.

El-Basir is proposing a wealth-sharing deal that splits oil profits 50-50 between north and south Sudan. The Chinese National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), runs the largest oil-extraction operation in the country. China has been roundly condemned for closing its eyes to human rights violations in Sudan because of the oil diplomacy. Its company has been accused of false declaration of oil production figures which puts the south in disadvantage. In the five years of  peace, the north has shared $10 billion in oil revenue with south.

The suspicion that the north was hiding oil revenue almost derailed the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, three years ago. Bashir’s National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army must negotiate a new oil revenue-sharing agreement, and a “credible, independent” company must conduct a detailed audit of the country’s oil industry and release its findings in full to the public.

Observers  believe that the ICC indictment of  El-Bashir has put him under tremendous pressure and he is not in the mood to fight any more, but the UN, and some anti-genocide groups have set up Satellite Sentinel Project, along the border areas to monitor movement of persons and troops.

The surveillance project is to prevent a new civil war in the event that the south votes for secession in the referendum. “We want to let potential perpetrators of genocide and other war crimes to know that we’re watching, the world is watching,” they said. “War criminals thrive in the dark. It’s a lot harder to commit mass atrocities in the glare of the media spotlight.”

Today’s referendum is important for the people of Sudan and the world as it may see the birth of a new nation in Africa and the world.

This article originally appeared in the Vanguard Newspaper in Nigeria

Egypt Intensifies Fight Against Human & Organ Trafficking (News Brief)

(HN, December 12, 2010) The Egyptian Government plans to intensify its battle against the widespread trafficking of human organs and humans, including moving against the widening practice of under-age marriages that are the equivalent of human slavery.

Starting with a forum this weekend in Luxor chaired by First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, the country will follow-up with its first national anti-human trafficking plan. It is to enter into force as of January 2011 and extend to to January 2013, and is based on four main points: prevention, protection, prosecution and participation. Mubarak made the annoucement at a news conference.Egyptian First Lady Suzanna Mubarak has taken on the fight against human trafficking as one of her main causes

Human trafficking is an enormous problem in Egypt. Canadian investigative journalist Victor Malarek identified the country - and especially the Sinai Peninsula - as a major transit point for women from Eastern Europe being trafficked. Malarek, in his book The Natashas, has documented cases of Slavic women smuggled via Egypt into Israel and forced into prostitution, often with the collusion of Israeli police.

Mubarak hinted at the large scope of the problem - saying that, given the unprecedented growing threat posed by this crime, it was a must for Egypt to adopt its own combat strategy.

Human trafficking has mushroomed into a global, trans-national menace that imposed itself on the world community's agenda, she said.

The trafficking of human organs is also proliferating - especially among poor, urban dwellers in Egypt - who sell the items to specialized hospitals and labs, the government found in a national study on human trafficking.

Another problem is under-age marriage for the purpose of prostitution or human slavery: a government study obtained by HUMNEWS says that girls as young as 14 years old, in a bid to escape poverty, are wed to wealthy men from the Gulf States.

The forum - held with the UN and attended by Hollywood celebrities - is held also to mark the ten-year anniversary of the UN Palermo Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, which was launched on Dec. 12, 2000. The protocol focused the attention of the global community on combating human trafficking and called for the criminalization of all acts of trafficking, including forced labor, slavery, and slavery-like practices.

Human trafficking is the third most profitable illegal business after weapons and drugs nowadays. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates the total market value of human trafficking at $32 billion. And an estimated 2.4 million people are currently victims of this modern slavery - from at least 127 countries and have been found to be exploited in 137 states.

Most victims are between the ages of 18 and 24, and an estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked each year, UN figures show.

At the forum, UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov urged for action from business: "The private sector has so much to offer in terms of resources, knowledge and influence to combat human trafficking. Raising awareness both within the workforce and the general community on trafficking is critical, and businesses have a moral and legal responsibility to ensure that all aspects of their operations are "traffic-free" - from employees, to suppliers, to partners".

Joy Ngozi Ezeilo - the UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons - has said there is absence of accurate data on trafficking in persons, especially women and children which has made it impossible to measure the magnitude or scale of human trafficking in Egypt. "While acknowledging that quality data may be scarce in the field, it also breeds concern because...many stakeholders describe Egypt as a transit country but this classification is done without any backup statistics," she said.

Ezeilo also said human trafficking is much more of a domestic problem in Egypt. "There is a growing trend of sexual and economic exploitation of young Egyptian girls by their families and brokers, who execute marriages that are also popularly known as 'seasonal or temporary' marriage. These types of marriages sometimes provide a smokescreen for providing sexual services to foreign men."

Though one observer in Egypt said the problem is far more grave than the Government or UN is admitting. "We are a country of origin, transit and destination but the government decided that we are only a country of origin. We have the worst forms of exploitation - and they (the Government) still insist that we have none."

- HUMNEWS staff, files

REFLECTING ON RAMADAN IN CAIRO (PERSPECTIVE)

by Michael Bociurkiw in Cairo

(HN, August 16, 2010) - It's always a joy to return to Cairo during the holy month of Ramadan, which debuted last Wednesday and continues into September.

The streets seem calmer, without the usual impossible traffic and choking fumes. In the moments leading up to iftar - the meal that marks the end of the daily fast - a frenetic atmosphere takes hold as people rush to set up dining areas for impossibly large feasts.

This is a time for large, festive gathering of families and friends - with tables groaning under the weight of traditional dishes. Into the late hours of the night, many companies treat their employees and partners to large, elaborate, pre-dawn receptions known as Suhoor. One that I attended by the telecommunications giant, Mobinil, on the banks of the Nile River, even had a small shooting gallery to keep guests entertained!A Palestinian man prepares the traditional Ramadan sweet katayif in the West Bank town of Bethlehem. (Haythem Othman, Maan Images)

With all the family and corporate gathering in Egypt, it is said that the country is the only spot on the map in the Muslim world where people actually gain weight during the holy month of fasting!

I will remember this year’s Ramadan for an iftar I shared with a dear Egyptian friend at the El Sit Hosneya Restaurant in Cairo’s Dokki district. Aside from the food being outstanding, there was so much served that I took the leftovers to my friends at my next destination - it was enough to feed three adults and one toddler!

When I think of the Ramadan table I think of energy-packed dates, a milk drink filled with dried fruits and almonds, lentil soup, kubbe, moutabel, fattoush, babaganoush, hummus, labaneh, fresh salads and stews, falafel - and of course freshly-baked bread and kataiaf - or filed pancakes.

With the special dishes that fill a traditional Ramadan menu, it’s easy to see why people cant resist over-eating. But many say people have gone overboard.

Said an editorial in Egypt’s Al -Ahram: “Public consumption dramatically rises during Ramadan...it poses a huge financial burden on the average citizen and forces him sometimes to borrow to be able to buy the goods he wants, and satisfy the consumption culture which now controls our behaviour in Ramadan.

The consumption culture in Ramadan is not only in consuming more food, but also in wasting time and forgetting that Ramadan is the month of virtue and worship. It should not be the time for amusement and spending time in matters that distort the minds of our nation.”

Local observers say this year, Ramadan has been more subdued as families cut back on festivities due to the spiraling cost of meat and other products. Some critics say that opportunistic food traders deliberately raise prices during Ramadan as they know families have an obligation to feed their friends and the poor. Basic commodities such as sugar, rice and eggs are reportedly up by more than 40 percent over the past year in Egypt.

Combine sticker shock at the markets with unbearable heat, lack of power and growing disenchantment with government officials and you get some seriously unhappy people.

Spiraling costs have also reportedly forced soap opera producers - who vie for the peak viewing hours of Ramadan - to dump first tier talent for less expensive stars. For example, Donya Ghanem and Maged El-Kadwani will co-star in El-Kebir Awi (The Biggest of All) - a comedy about a village mayor who marries and American woman who gives birth to twins. It features humorous encounters between the two, one brought up in Upper Egypt and the other in America.

Also a surprise for visitors coming to Cairo this month is that huge swaths of the city are darkened at night due to electricity load management by the power authority. Due to a record-setting heat, the surge in demand for power has put a huge strain on the Egyptian capital’s creaky power system. The new system means that there are far fewer fanouss - or Ramadan decorations - to be seen in the middle of alleyways or by the doors of businesses in Cairo.

The lack of power will undoubtedly darken the TV screens of millions of television addicts who flock to their sets during Ramadan to watch the hundreds of hours of extra programming laid on by Arab terrestrial and satellite TV channels. Egyptian columnist Mohamed Sultan says that for one person to watch the 120 Egyptian and Arab TV series scheduled for the month, he would need 2,500 watching hours - leaving not much time for prayer and reflection.

Speaking of prayer - Egypt’s Minister of Endowment introduced measures this year to unify the five-time-a-day call to prayer by the start of Ramadan - by linking all of Cairo’s 4,500 mosques by a call transmitted from a radio station. The move is designed to reduce noise pollution but some see it as running against tradition.

Another change this year was brought about by a controversial, last minute move by the Government to ease the strain of fasting on the faithful - and on the electricity grid - by introducing a special one-month time change. The move was done to make Iftar - the traditional breaking of the fast - an hour earlier during the most hot and humid time of the year.

Al-Ahram columnist Youssef Rakha criticized the move, saying that once Eid al-Fitr - the feat that marks the end of the holy month - comes, Egypt returns to summer time for 20 days only, before switching again to winter time. “Who came up with this brilliant plan, nobody knows,” wrote Rakha.

In past Ramadans - whether here or in Jerusalem - I have sympathetically observed friends and colleagues struggle to adjust to the new sleeping and eating schedule. The faithful awake before daybreak to dine before beginning their daily fast. The first few days of Ramadan are difficult for those who work regular hours as their bodies adjust to the new regime.

Three years ago, during a visit to the Egyptian port city of Alexandria, a recall listening to a radio talk show where the manager of a large factory chastized his staff for using Ramadan as an excuse to decrease their output. While the manager said he sympathized with their plight, he stressed that it hurt his company’s standing with overseas buyers. Some offices - including many UN offices in the region - deliberately shorten the workday during Ramadan to allow those with families more time to prepare for iftar.

HUMNEWS' Michael Bociurkiw is Founder and Editor of Savvy Traveller - a member of the HUM CSR Co-op