Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Attacks on President Assad's Air Force

The aftermath of the downing of a Syrian jet fighter near Aleppo on Saturday

See also Syria Interview: Free Syrian Army Commander Riad Al-Asaad "The Revolution is on the Right Track Now"
Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Insurgents Attack in the North

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1959 GMT: Bahrain. Five medics whose convictions were recently upheld have gone on hunger strike, according to their lawyers.

The five were among 20 medical staff who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms by a military court last year after they gave medical treatment to demonstrators. The sentences were reduced this summer; however, after they were reaffirmed by an appeal court last month, the five medics were detained.

Calling their action "The Lost Justice", the medics repeated that the authorities used "harsh and systematic torture" during their detention, which "caused injuries and disabilities whose traces remain on [their] bodies.

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Mauritania Feature: A Country Shackled by Slavery? (Mark)

A CNN report from March 2012

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In 1981 Mauritania became the last country to abolish slavery, although it was only criminalised in 2007. Officials repeatedly denied it existed and refused to talk to the Guardian about slavery. But activists and former slaves speak of a centuries-old practice, a relic of the trans-Sahara slave trade when Arabic-speaking Moors raided African villages, flourishing in remote outposts of this vast desert country.

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Bahrain, Syria (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Hunger Strike of Abdulhadi Alkhawaja

2121 GMT: According to our sources, and many reports on Twitter, there is chaos in many parts of Bahrain, particularly in Manama where there are many night protests and clashes with police:

صورة ؛ اجياب الخليفية تقتحم البلاد القديم من شرق ، pic;roit police attacking bilad alqadeem w/jeeps @BiladQadeem twitter.com/elnetfa/status…

— ZahraNew (@elnetfa) April 5, 2012

29 #Bahrain #UK #USA #HumanRights All roads are on fire demanding the immediate release of #AlKhawaja twitter.com/14Feb_Media/st…

— 14 Feb Media Network (@14Feb_Media) April 5, 2012

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Mauritania Feature: The Popular Unrest Grows (Whitaker)

Protest in Mauritania, 12 March 2012

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Last month we posted "Mauritania Photo Feature: The Emergence of Protest?". Now Brian Whitaker removes the question mark over the demonstrations, noting and analysing the latest signs of challenge to the regime:

Has the Arab Spring reached Mauritania? Popular unrest is clearly growing and yesterday tens of thousands took to the streets of the capital, Nouakchott, calling on the president to step down.

Up to now, this has largely gone unnoticed by the rest of the world, apart from a few tweets and blog posts. Mauritania, after all, is one of the more obscure members of the Arab League and none of the big powers take much interest in it, politically or strategically.

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Mauritania Photo Feature: The Emergence of Protest? (Hunt)

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Anita Hunt ("lissnup") writes on her blog about Monday's mass protest in Mauritania in northwest Africa:

I’ve collected some photos posted online today from the huge rally in Nouakchott, the biggest one in the history of Mauritania according to local contacts. Estimates vary for actual numbers, from anywhere between 20,000 and 80,000. Regardless, it was a massive show of strength and a clear signal to Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, who could not fail to hear tens of thousands of people all chanting that they want the downfall of the regime.

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North Africa Feature: Has "Arab Spring" Brought Reconciliation in Region? (Malkhy)

Saad Eddine OthmaniOn 14 January, the first anniversary of the Tunisian Revolution, leaders from Morocco, Libya, Algeria, and Morocco travelled to the country in a show of solidarity. The visit also highlighted the interest in building links across the region, in part through revival of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA).

This weekend, it was announced that interim Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki will be reciprocating the gesture, with official visits to Morocco and Algeria in early February. In a further indication that the regional disagreements which led to the suspension of the AMU in 1994 are easing --- for now at least --- Morocco's new Foreign Minister Saad Eddine Othmani will arrive in Algeria today for two days of discussions. Writing for MoroccoBoard News Service,Hassan Masiky examines the significance of the visit, and how a thawing of hostilities will play to domestic populations still seeking greater political reform and economic opportunities.

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The "Arab Spring" Spurs Algeria to Reconcile with Morocco"
Hassan Masiky

Reports of the upcoming visit by the new Moroccan Foreign Minister to Algiers are signs that recent political and social events in North Africa are forcing the Algerian government and the Moroccan authorities to reconsider their long-simmering rivalry.

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