Bahrain (and Beyond) Live: An Agenda for a National Dialogue?

See also Syria Live: Insurgent Attacks in Central Aleppo
Monday's Mali (and Beyond) Live: At Least 7 Killed in Timbuktu Fighting

---

1745 GMT: Tunisia. Tunisian officials and personnel from the International Monetary Fund will begin a week-long meeting on Monday, with a view to completing a $1.78 billion loan by late April or early May.

The IMF loan accord would require Tunisia to commit to a set of structural economic reforms. While the government sees the IMF loan as key to advancing development in Tunisia, there has been considerable criticism of the measure within the country.

Click to read more ...

Mali (and Beyond) Live: At Least 7 Killed in Timbuktu Fighting

See also Syria Live: The Deaths on Easter Sunday
Sunday's Mali (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A Suicide Bombing in Timbuktu

---

1525 GMT: Morocco. Several thousand people marched through the capital Rabat on Sunday to protest against unemployment and the cost of living.

In a "national march of protest" for greater freedoms and rights, yellow-clad marchers moved through the streets of the city.

Protesters challenged government plans to reform laws dealing with labor unions, including docking the pay of strikers. Chanting "people want the fall of the government" and “Morocco is witnessing social regression", they called for the departure of Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane.

Other slogans denounced government policies, corruption, and the high cost of living.

Click to read more ...

Sudan Feature: Explaining Last Month's Coup Attempt...And What's Next (Elmahdi)

President Omar al-BashirYesterday reports circulated that at least seven army officers had been arrested for plotting a coup against President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The head of the plot was named as Colonel Al-Tayeb Al-Sayed.

Al-Sayed reportedly warned that unless there are changes in the "leadership" to fix Sudan's problems, then "everyday they will find a coup as there are tens behind us who will try that".

Sudanese activist Yousif Elmahdi writes for Muftah about last month's coup attempt....

Click to read more ...

Syria, Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Trapped in Homs...and Hama...and Douma...and...

Shelling of Hama in Syria, amid calls to prayer, on Wednesday

See also Sudan Feature: The Protests Revive
Syria Revealed: CIA Helping with Arms Shipments to Insurgents
Turkey Live Coverage (21 June): A Questionable Military Declaration
Wednesday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: Mubarak Not Quite "Clinically Dead"; 50+ Very Dead in Syria

---

2042 GMT: Sudan. To comply with austerity measures ordered by the national government, Khartoum State Governor Abdel Rahman Khedr has dissolved his Cabinet.

On Monday, President Umar al-Bashir ordered cuts to cope with the loss of about 75% of the country’s oil output when South Sudan seceded last year.

The measures have sparked student protests (see separate feature). About 200 gathered at the University of Khartoum early today to prepare for another anti-government rally, defying police who fired tear gas and warnings shots on Wednesday to disperse protesters.

Click to read more ...

Sudan Feature: On 1st Anniversary of Protests, a New Vision for the Country? (Nasr)

Thousands in Sudan protesting last month at the University of Khartoum

---

The arrests of activists in Khartoum this week is yet another troubling indication of President al-Bashir's unwillingness to accept open critique. It also shows, however, just how scared the regime is of the growing solidarity movement in the north of the country, between the Manasir's continued struggles and youth activists in the capital (many Manasir themselves) who wish to see change in Sudan and freedom from corrupt rule. Coupled with the continued violence in Darfur --- and al-Bashir is a wanted war criminal for his role in the genocide there --- the one year anniversary of last year's attempted uprising marks an opportune moment to consider a vision for what a new Sudan could be.

Click to read more ...

Sudan Special: A New Spark for 2011's Forgotten Revolution?

Police attack a sit-in of 16,000 student protesters on Sunday

---

This intimidation and suppression has displayed the vast arsenal the al-Bashir regime was ready to unleash against protesters from the start of attempts to build a social movement for change. However, if this has limited attention to other attempted revolutions in 2011, the 30 January protests have initiated a movement which sees itself as a spark to ignite the whole country in unified opposition. 

Events of the last week may prove to be the catalyst for a wider movement to flourish. Whether the passion fueling the movement leads to its expansion, or whether it encounters a failure to achieve broad popular support, it is vital --- amid orchestrated suppression and the abuse of the last clampdown --- that the world not look away this time.

Click to read more ...

Sudan Feature: 500,000 Displaced as North Sudanese Forces Gather on Border (Flint)

Fierce new fighting along Sudan's volatile north-south divide is raising deep concern for the safety of the Nuba people, the forgotten victims of the country's long-running civil war who are once again under attack by government forces and militias.

The fighting has significantly increased the chances that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the civil war six years ago will collapse, reigniting a north-south war and ending all hopes of peaceful partition when oil-rich South Sudan formally declares itself independent on 9 July.

Click to read more ...

Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Surge

2150 GMT: Prominent activist Wael Ghonim today on CNN, telling the regime, " "If you are true Egyptians, if you are heroic Egyptians, it's time to step down":

Click to read more ...

Egypt (and Beyond) LiveBlog: Hunkering Down

2300 GMT: In Tunisia, the Ministry of Interior has announced that the former ruling party, the Constitituional Democratic Rally, is to be suspended and its offices closed.

2155 GMT: And now, to offer wisdom on the Egyptian crisis, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin:

Click to read more ...

Sudan LiveBlog: Developing Story --- Protests in Khartoum

0845 GMT: The Wall Street Journal has picked up on the Sunday protests, with an article by Sarah Childress.

0820 GMT: A statement from Sudanese police says its forces contained a “limited riot” staged by some students, including some “agitators". According to the police release, 40 students and 30 citizens were arrested, and all students were released on bail.

0755 GMT: Ahlia University in Omdurman has been closed for the rest of the week.

0500 GMT: Mohamed Abdelrahman, a student at Al-Ahlyaa University, was reportedly killed in the Khartoum demonstrations.

Click to read more ...