February: The US and Taliban sign a peace agreement in Doha, and Hosni Mubarak dies
On 29 February, after years of negotiations hosted by Qatar, the United States signed a historic peace agreement with one of its former arch enemies, the Taliban, moving close to bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing US troops to return home from America's longest war.
Meanwhile, almost ten years after the start of the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's long-serving dictator who was toppled in the Egyptian revolution of 25 January 2011, died in the same month, leaving behind a legacy of pain and repression, and little closure with the brutal military regime restored to power through President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Meanwhile, almost ten years after the start of the Arab Spring, Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's long-serving dictator who was toppled in the Egyptian revolution of 25 January 2011, died in the same month, leaving behind a legacy of pain and repression, and little closure with the brutal military regime restored to power through President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
Hosni Mubarak is dead, but the pharaoh state he helped build lives on
(Mubarak passes away on 25 February)
Winners and losers: The future of Afghanistan's fragile peace process
(Peace deal signed on 29 February 2020)
March: The Covid-19 pandemic invades the Middle East and the world |
Iran's mishandling of coronavirus Covid-19 outbreak is putting its people and the region at risk
For Middle East refugees, social distancing is a privilege few can afford
April: Ramadan under lockdown, and an oil price war |
How coronavirus has changed the way Muslims celebrate Ramadan
Oil price truce: The Russia-Saudi standoff is over. But at what cost?
May: Occupation in Palestine and racism in America |
Annexation in the shadow of the Nakba
For the sake of George Floyd and Black lives everywhere, make this moment count
June: Racism and Covid-19 in Britain; and Libya's government secures Tripoli from rogue general |
Covid-19 lays bare Britain's entrenched racial inequalities
After Haftar: What's next in Libya's conflict?
July: Hagia Sophia converted back to mosque and Srebrenica massacre commemorated |
'We must not forget': 25 years after the Srebrenica genocide
What will happen to Turkey's Hagia Sophia after controversial mosque conversion?
August: A cataclysmic explosion at the port of Beirut devastates the city, Israel and the UAE agree to normalise relations. |
On August 4, a nuclear-like blast at the Port of Beirut devastates Lebanon's capital. Over 200 are killed and thousands injured. The explosion rips through historic quarters of Mar Mkhael and Gemmayzeh, bringing economic disasters to an already struggling city due to the ongoing banking crisis of 2019. Many blame the blast on government corruption and negligence. To date, investigations have led nowhere. Towards the end of August, the UAE and Israel sign a deal to normalise ties in a major coup for Donald Trump's administration. Palestinians are outraged, as yet another Arab nation throws their cause under the bus for closer relations with Tel Aviv and Washington.
Beirut: The feeling of being buried alive
UAE adds Israel to its coalition of anti-democratic allies
September: Bahrain and Israel agree to normalise relations, Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Sabah dies at the age of 91 |
Bahrain's normalisation deal with Israel is lots of risk for little gain
Arab world mouns death of Kuwait's 'peace-loving' emir
October: Armenia and Azerbaijan reach a ceasefire deal after a devastating war in Nagorno-Karabakh, Sudan normalises ties with Israel |
How US blackmail pushed Sudan to normalise ties with Israel
Armenia, Azerbaijan agree on ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh
November: US elections are held, with Arab and Muslim Americans playing a crucial role in swing states. Trump refuses to recognise results citing fraud without evidence |
How Arabs and Muslims helped flip Michigan blue for Biden
Voter suppression and intimidation are Arab American issues too
December: 10-year anniversary of the Arab Spring, Iran's top nuclear scientist assassinated |
Meanwhile, the Arab world began to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the Arab Spring wave of revolutions, marked on the day Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest state injustice. On a side note, Morocco concluded a normalisation deal with Israel, in return for US recognition of the disputed Western Sahara as Moroccan territory.
Tunisia's rocky path to democracy: Fighting to advance the hard-won freedoms of the revolution
Fakhrizadeh's assassination: A new diplomatic obstacle for Biden's Iran policy
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