Monday, February 14, 2011

Unrest in North Africa: Israel is satisfied with Egypt's military government

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu praised Egypt's military government - the peaceful course is a "cornerstone of stability in the Middle East." Tense is the situation in Algeria. There by violent protests, hundreds of protesters were arrested. Jerusalem / Cairo / Algiers - The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the promise of the ruling Egyptian military, to respect the 1979 peace agreement between the two countries.


The agreement is "a cornerstone of peace and stability in the Middle East," Netanyahu said on Saturday, according to a published statement from his office. He had recently warned that Muslim extremists could take advantage of the situation in Egypt to take power. Finance Juwal Steinitz said the broadcaster Channel 2 from a "very good announcement." The peace does not lie only in the interests of Israel, but also in the interest of Egypt.

Israel and Egypt had led four wars against each other before they joined in 1979 the peace agreement. The Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak ex had consistently kept up to his resignation on Friday of the agreement and was regarded in Israel as the guarantor of peace. The Egyptian opposition has announced a day after the resignation of Hosni Mubarak's an end to the protests on Tahrir Square in Cairo.

They would also call for weekly protests, representatives of the coalition of youth and opposition groups said on Saturday at a news conference. So they wanted to put the ruling military to remain under pressure to implement the required democratic reforms. Information Minister under house arrest, the Egyptian Information Minister Anas al-Fiqi has meanwhile been, according to a report by the Arab news channel Al-Arabiya placed under house arrest.

The television station on the basis that army circles. Against Al-Fiqi and other leading members of the government of ousted President Hosni Mubarak had previously been issued travel restrictions. Such as airport employees told, is to be prevented in this way that these people settle in advance of possible corruption charges abroad.

Some business people may not leave the country. Their fortunes were eingefrn. The state radio in Egypt promised to provide an "honest and competitive" reporting. Man belongs to the people and serve him, "it said on Saturday in a statement read out on television and radio. It was "to be guided only by the truth itself.

The state radio had been heavily criticized because of the representation of the events surrounding the democracy movement. The opposition demonstrations were in the state media - have been designated as controlled from abroad - especially on television. Multiple demonstrators were the building of state television in Cairo held to protest against the regime and the media it controls.

Hundreds of arrests in Algeria As the situation calmed down in Egypt, it was in Algeria on Saturday to violent protests against the government of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. The demonstrations were violently suppressed by police. In several cities of the country were, according to the Algerian League for the Defence of Human Rights (LADDH) more than 300 people arrested.

According to others it is even more than 400 In the capital, Algiers, hundreds of demonstrators broke through a police barrier for a short time but have been pushed yet. In Algiers, around 2000 people tried to demonstrate for a "system change". The protest march was not approved by the authorities.

A large contingent of police tried to reason, to stop the rally. About 30,000 security forces were deployed. Along the route, hundreds of armored vehicles and water cannon were stationed. Shortly before the scheduled start of the protest march overcame several demonstrators briefly a barrier in place of the 1 May, at their march as planned to hold.

Journalists, it was among hundreds of demonstrators and police clashed. The Algerian Interior Ministry said 250 government opponents. "Free Algeria" and "Down with the regime," shouted the demonstrators. They were offset by a group of 40 supporters Bouteflika: "Bouteflika is not Mubarak," they shouted, alluding to the Egyptian ex-president.

By early afternoon the road was in a hitherto closely guarded city center slowly back on track. Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (FDP) called on all parties to renounce violence. "We are very concerned about the news in Algeria, and demand and urge the parties to refrain from all forms of violence and the protesters not to use the right to protest," he said during his visit to Tunisia.

Westerwelle promises help for Tunisia Tunisia demonstrators had been barely a month ago brought about a change of power. Westerwelle promised German help the country in the next steps on the path to democracy. He also encouraged the Office of the transitional government to continue after the overthrow of dictator Ben Ali with the reforms.

"The road has been started, but he is not finished yet," Westerwelle said during his visit to Tunis. Chairman of the FDP met among others, the incumbent Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannuchi as well as with representatives of the former opposition. Ghannuchi promised: "Tunisia has decided to walk the path of democracy to an end." He also asked for urgent international support.

For this purpose it will next month give a kind donors conference. The first support was Berlin some three million euros for a "democracy promotion fund" is available. Moreover, with 500,000 euros, the exchange students are encouraged. Within the European Union (EU), the government wants to ensure that export restrictions will be relaxed.

Refugees provide emergency in Italy A major problem could be the unending flow of refugees from Tunisia. Since the regime change thousands try to reach Italy. The European country has already declared a humanitarian emergency. This step enables it to civil protection authorities to "immediately" take necessary measures, the government announced in Rome.

Since Wednesday the authorities, some 3,000 illegal immigrants from North African coasts of Italy reached, more than 250 of them alone in the early hours of Saturday. The Italian Civil Protection has set up a crisis unit. From the Mediterranean island of Lampedusa, where on Saturday still endured a thousand refugees, authorities brought the number of illegal immigrants through an air bridge and by ferry to catch Langer in Sicily and the south of the country.

Only on Saturday, all refugees should be taken away from Lampedusa. The government in Rome had asked in the face of a growing number of boat people from Tunisia on Friday, the European Union for help. Brussels should send "immediately" units of the EU border agency Frontex to Tunisia and have them patrol along the coast, it said in a statement the Foreign Ministry.

According to the authorities came, most of the recent refugees landed on the coast of Tunisia.

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