- Ethiopia may descend into widespread unrest following the resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The Ethiopian government declared a six-month state of emergency in response to continued protests and strikes by members of a marginalized ethnic group. The ruling party has not yet made sufficient concessions to the protesters. Unrest in Ethiopia has serious implications for regional stability and for the African Union Mission in Somalia, which relies in part on Ethiopian forces to fight al Shabaab.
- Al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri reiterated his call for the Muslim community to unite and establish shari'a-based governance. Zawahiri urged Egyptians to reinvigorate the Arab Spring and overthrow the secular government ahead of the upcoming Egyptian elections. He separately emphasized the need for groups in Syria to remain united amid new reports of splintering among al Qaeda's Syrian affiliates.
- The Gonabadi Dervish protests in Tehran may result in the reignition of widespread anti-regime protests throughout Iran. Peaceful protests soon turned violent resulting in the imprisonment of 360 protesters and the death of at least five security officials on February 19. The renewal of widespread anti-regime protests may be forthcoming if the regime continues to squash peaceful assemblies and deny licenses for peaceful protests. [To learn more about the recent anti-regime protests in Iran, please view “Iranian Anti-Regime Protests and Security Flaws.”]
Below are the takeaways from the week:
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