Iran - Unrest

The National, Abu Dhabi: Eight killed in Iran protests over death of Mahsa Amini

Women were seen burning their hijabs and chanting 'death to the dictator'

Violent demonstrations across Iran continued on Wednesday for a fifth day, resulting in the killing of at least eight people as anger over the death of a woman in police custody escalates, human rights groups said.

The protests, led mostly by women, erupted in more than a dozen cities and at universities in Tehran following the death on Friday of?Mahsa Amini, 22, who had been arrested three days earlier for allegedly breaking Iran’s strict hijab law.

Amini, who was from Iran's western Kurdistan province, fell into a coma after being arrested by?morality police.

Iranian officials said Amini died on Friday from a heart attack after three days in an intensive care unit, following her arrest last Tuesday.

But her family said she had no known health problems and that she had suffered bruises to her legs.

They held the police accountable for her death, sparking anger at home and abroad.

In a fifth night of street rallies that had spread to 15 cities, police used tear gas and made arrests to disperse crowds of up to 1,000, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday.

London-based rights group Article 19 said it was “deeply concerned by reports of the unlawful use of force by Iranian police and security forces”, including the use of live ammunition.

Demonstrators hurled stones at security forces, set fire to police vehicles and rubbish bins and chanted anti-government slogans, the official Irna news agency reported.

It said rallies were held in cities including Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan and Shiraz.

Videos on social media showed women burning their hijabs in protest and cutting their hair in front of large crowds who were cheering their actions.

Some chanted “death to the dictator”.

In the nationwide condemnation of Amini's death, the Farsi hashtag #MahsaAmini has achieved more than three million Twitter mentions since Friday.

Protests continued on Wednesday in Iranian Kurdistan, around Tehran's main universities and also, unusually, at the Tehran bazaar, images showed.

“Woman, life, freedom”, protesters shouted, while demonstrators on Tuesday night were shown starting fires and trying to overturn police vehicles in several cities.

Women were seen encouraging others to come out and protest.

The Norway-based Kurdish rights group Hengaw, which had first reported three deaths amid the protests, said on Wednesday that two more protesters had been killed overnight.

The two, aged 16 and 23, died in the towns of Piranshahr and Urmia, both in West Azerbaijan province, the group said.

Another male protester wounded in Divandarreh on September 17 later died in hospital, it said.

“The number of deaths in the protests has increased to eight,” the group said, also reporting that about 450 people had been wounded and 500 arrested, in figures that could not be independently verified.

In response, the government condemned what it called “foreign interventionist positions”.

“It is regrettable that some countries try to take advantage of an incident under investigation as an opportunity to pursue their political goals and desires against the government and people of Iran,” foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said on Tuesday.

Iran's Telecoms Minister Issa Zarepour on Wednesday warned of internet restrictions owing to the “security issues of these days”, the Isna news agency reported.

Article 19 said it was “alarmed by the local internet shutdowns”, recalling that in 2019, authorities had “used the darkness of a shutdown to kill, maim and arrest protesters and bystanders with impunity”.

Iran has cut off access to social media platforms Instagram and WhatsApp, two of the last remaining social networks in the country, UK internet watchdog NetBlocks said on Wednesday.

The group's data have shown a near total disruption to internet service in parts of Iran's western Kurdistan province since Monday, while Tehran and other parts of the country have also faced disruptions since last Friday, when protests first broke out.

Hundreds of people have been arrested and dozens injured in the protests, some hit by shotgun pellets fired by police.

The protests are among the most serious in the country since the November 2019 unrest over fuel price increases.

Updated: September 22, 2022, 10:10

Eight killed in Iran protests over death of Mahsa Amini (thenationalnews.com)

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Arab Youth Survey 2022: democracy in the Middle East will never work, most say

Most young people aged 18 to 24 in the Mena region say stability is more important

Identity: Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young Arabs say preserving their religious and cultural identity is more important than creating a more globalised society. This figure rises to 75 per cent in the Gulf. The National

The majority of young Arabs believe democracy would never work in the Middle East, a major regional survey has revealed.

Nearly two thirds, 64 per cent, of those who were interviewed for the 2022 Arab Youth Survey, said they believed democracy would be incompatible with the region.

Those in the Levant were most likely to share this view, with 72 per cent agreeing. This is a region mired in conflict and polarising political factions.

The survey was of 3,400 people aged 18 to 24 in the Middle East and North Africa.

A brief assessment of the challenges facing Iraq, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine and Syria may indicate why their young citizens feel this way about democracy. Lebanon is currently in the throes of its?worst economic crisis in history?and Palestinians are into their?eighth decade of Israeli occupation. Iraq is suspended in?political deadlock, while Syria continues to grapple with the?effects of a civil war. Unemployment in Jordan is currently at 22.6 per cent, the country's Department of Statistics says.

An overwhelming majority of young Arabs — 82 per cent across the Mena region — said pushing for stability in their country was more important than promoting democracy. The figure is in stark contrast to the 2009 Arab Youth Survey findings, in which 92 per cent of respondents in the same age group said their greatest priority was to live in a democratic country.

Amy Hawthorne, from the Project on Middle East Democracy, a think tank based in Washington DC, said that other surveys have shown democracy is still sought after — but that examples in the region are poor.

"The image of democracy has been tarnished in the Arab world," she said.

"The wars in Syria and Yemen are not a reality any young person would wish for. More recently, the failure of Tunisia’s democratic experiment to improve living conditions, especially for young people, and tackle corruption has further discredited the image of this term. Expectations were sky high and the disappointment is very deep."

Ms Hawthorne said that in many of the Arab states, there was no way to improve economic conditions, create good jobs and improve health care without making governments more accountable.

"Whether or not we use the word democracy, these ingredients of governance are still widely desired, indeed widely dreamt for across the Arab world," she said.

An Egyptian protester waves his national flag as tens of thousands gather for a demonstration at Cairo's Tahrir Square in April 2011. AFP

Natasha Ridge, executive director at Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research, said it made "very logical sense" that young Arabs would be deterred by the idea of democracy, having seen attempts at it fail in nations across the region.

"Given what they have experienced of democracy, I can totally understand that young people would actually prefer a much more stable regime," she said.

"They have seen attempts to introduce it in Iraq post-conflict, which failed miserably. They saw that it was also not successful in Egypt.

"When they hear the word democracy, that is their association."

Five main takeaways from the 2022 Arab Youth Survey:

• Almost two thirds (65 per cent) of young Arabs say preserving their religious and cultural identity is more important than creating a more globalised society. This figure rises to 75 per cent in the Gulf.
• More than a third of young Arabs (35 per cent) say rising cost of living and unemployment are the biggest obstacles facing the region. Other concerns include unemployment (32 per cent), and the Israeli occupation of Palestine (29 per cent).
• Some 31 per cent of young Arabs see the US and Nato as more responsible for war in Ukraine than Russia, though 37 per cent said they did not know or could not say either way.
• More than half (57 per cent) of young Arabs say the UAE is the country they would most like to live in. The UAE is rated as the most desirable country for the 11th consecutive year.
• Over the past five years, China has been seen by young Arabs as a stronger ally to their nation than the US. At least 78 per cent said China was a stronger ally, while 63 per cent chose the US.

Growing up in the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings

Respondents of this year's survey, conducted by the PR consultancy Asda'a BCW, would have been aged 8 to 12 during the Arab Uprisings of 2010-2013. The uprisings involved several Arab countries attempting to overthrow governments they viewed as authoritarian and corrupt in favour of democracy. In the end, only Tunisia experienced a true revolution, while most nations witnessed limited change to their regimes.

This reversal in political sentiment among Arab young people comes after more than a decade of instability in some countries, including Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

Despite the perceived negative outlook on democratic movements in their respective countries, at least 63 per cent of young Arabs say they have more rights and freedoms today as a result of the uprisings. This sentiment is felt most strongly in the Gulf, where 68 per cent of those polled said they enjoyed more rights today than in 2010.

A majority of young Arabs say they enjoy more rights due to the Arab Uprisings

Other concerns among young Arabs highlighted in the survey included the increased role of government in their daily lives. About 60 per cent of respondents said this troubled them but, as with much of the survey findings, results varied significantly between Gulf countries, the Levant, and North Africa. Less than half of young Arabs in the Gulf are concerned about the increasing role of government in their lives, while 66 per cent of the Levant were.

Similarly, 88 per cent of Arabs in the Gulf believe their voices matter to their country's leadership, while only half in the Levant believe the same.

Better policymaking to address persistent social and economic concerns such as access to jobs, education and rising living costs was also high on the list of young Arabs' demands.

Though they face many challenges, most remain optimistic that their best days lie ahead, with at least 64 per cent believing better things are yet to come.

Optimism for days ahead

More than half, 54 per cent, say they will have a better life than their parents — the highest level of optimism seen in the survey over the past three years.

This outlook, again, varies greatly between the Gulf ―where 72 per cent believe they will live better lives than their parents ― and the Levant, where only 47 per cent believe this to be so.

Sunil John, founder of Asda'a BCW, said the ambivalence among Arab young people showed they stood at a crossroads seeking direction.

“The current generation of Arab youth are moving on from the divisions of the early 2010s but have yet to decide the direction they will take," he said.

"They want more freedoms, but they prioritise stability. They seek reform but want to preserve their culture and traditions. They are optimistic and self-reliant, believing their best days lie ahead, but their expectations are high.”

Arab Youth Survey 2022: democracy in the Middle East will never work, most say (thenationalnews.com)

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The Exchange: Zambia: President Hakainde Hichilema sets perfect example for economic recovery in Africa

Zambia has made substantial strides in driving macroeconomic recovery from a challenging economic situation compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic

President Hichilema’s plan for kickstarting the economic recovery in Zambia included taming inflation, job creation for the youth, restoring the confidence of international investors and addressing external debt.

President Hakainde Hichilema

• Hakainde Hichilema has guided Zambia towards economic recovery and stability since taking office in August last year.
• COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, high debt portfolio and other headwinds decimated Zambia’s economy in 2021 to less than 3% of GDP.
• The proven stability approach sets an example for other African nations looking to bounce back from a raft of economic and inflationary pressures.

The dawn of hope for Zambia

Hakainde Hichilema is one of the most successful businesspersons in Zambia. During the presidential election in 2021, Hichilema contested on a United Party of National Development, in which he is the party leader.

The six-time presidential candidate was, in August 2021, declared the winner of the presidential poll. His victory ended incumbent?President Edgar Lungu’s?six-year rule. Hichilema won in a landslide. He garnered 2.8 million votes — past the threshold of the more than 50% needed to win the poll. Lungu, who came in second, garnered 1.8 million votes.

When Hakainde Hichilema got elected as President of Zambia, the country was in economic turmoil. Zambia has faced massive economic challenges as one of the world’s most indebted countries.?In 2020, the nation became the first one to default on its sovereign debt, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating the impact

Well aware of the assignment before him, Hichilema unveiled several economic policies to solve the deep-rooted economic challenges of the mineral-rich country. Zambia, Africa’s second-largest producer of copper, has struggled as the price of copper, the country’s main export, fell amid the crippling impact of its debts.

President Hichilema’s plan for kickstarting the economic recovery included taming inflation, job creation for the Zambian youth, restoring the confidence of international investors and addressing external debt. Hichilema remained committed to improving Zambia’s system of education. This way, every young Zambian has an opportunity for government assistance to embark on a productive career. This enables them can make a decent living to provide for their families and contribute to the growth of the Zambian economy.

Zambian citizens were hopeful that the longstanding business tycoon and opposition leader would usher them into a new period of economic recovery and prosperity. Neighbouring African nations closely watched Zambia’s transition hoping for better diplomatic and economic relations.

The road to economic recovery in Zambia

Many people have watched Zambia’s economic performance in the last year. Many have wondered how the country’s economy has managed to shine in areas where almost every nation in the world has struggled.

COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, high debt portfolio and other headwinds decimated Zambia’s economy in 2021 to less than 3% of GDP. This represented a low from 4.9% in 2020 and another 4.0% in 2018.

According to Zambia’s Policy Monitoring and Research Centre, the current leader has overseen a raft of fiscal and monetary measures toward economic recovery.

After taking over the government’s reign, President pledged to implement a robust reform program. The program would reestablish macroeconomic stability and promote a private sector-led economic recovery. The government prioritized social sector spending in line with these reforms.

The President also set Zambia towards improved transparency in debt management and reporting. This was a clear commitment to increasing budget credibility, which remains essential to restoring fiscal sustainability. Consequently, Zambia has made substantial strides in driving macroeconomic recovery from a challenging economic situation compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

ALSO READ:?ICT sector to reap big in Ruto’s Kenyan digital space plan

Addressing inflation in Zambia

Various African countries, including Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, have failed to tame rising inflation and plummeting currencies. However, Hichilema’s government has managed to reduce Zambia’s inflation from 24.4% in August 2021 to 9.7% in June 2022.

Part of President Hichilema’s vision was to quadruple Zambia’s growth through agriculture and upscaling production in all economic spheres. In keeping with the promise to support agriculture, President Hichilema’s government abolished 5% customs on chicken and cattle breeding imports. The government also offered technological and monetary incentives to farmers.

Further, Hichilema’s administration provided a market for various crops and other commodities to reduce post-harvest losses. Moreover, the government also sought to encourage commercial banks to offer low-cost credit to farmers to foster productivity.

These policies have led to a sustained fall in food prices. Notably, the prices fell from 12% in July to 11.3% in August. Consumer prices have also remained steady in the last year. However, challenges persist in Zambia’s mining sector, which accounts for up to 10% of the country’s GDP.

During a meeting in November last year, Zambia’s monetary policy committee boldly raised the monetary policy rate to 9%. This rate, equivalent to 50 basis points, has since remained unchanged.

The government under Hakainde Hichilema had the ultimate target of inflation reduction to between 6% and 8% by June 2023. The monetary committee has since revised this goal to the first quarter of 2024. Nevertheless, Zambia’s inflation rate has decreased as the growth in food costs eases.

Achieving currency stability through debt restructuring

Zambia has dealt with the legacy of years of economic mismanagement, with an especially inefficient public investment drive.?Zambia has been in debt distress. Therefore, the country needed a deep and comprehensive debt treatment to place public debt on a sustainable path

Zambia’s bilateral creditors, including France, the UK and China, agreed on July 30 to provide the financing assurances that Africa’s first pandemic-era sovereign defaulter needed to secure a final economic bailout.

After months of negotiations, Zambia agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to restructure its debt. On August 31, 2022, the IMF approved a $1.3bn loan to Zambia. This was in addition to another $1.3 billion special drawing rights apportionment from the fund it received in August 2021.

The bailout package has helped contain the rising prices due to supply-chain disruptions emanating from the war in Ukraine and the ravages caused by the covid-19 pandemic. This has seen Zambia’s national currency, the Kwacha, strengthen against the US dollar. Consequently, the Zambian kwacha is the best-performing currency in the world, rallying over 18.5% from January to September this year.

When he initially took office about a year ago, Zambia’s current leader was mocked by critics. Many dubbed him “the calculator lad” because of his strong emphasis on the economy and career as an accountant.

Looking back, it is clear that Zambia needed these abilities to get out of the economic quagmire it was in at the time. Hakainde Hichilema has guided Zambia towards economic recovery and stability since taking office in August last year. The proven stability approach sets an example for other African nations looking to bounce back from a raft of economic and inflationary pressures.

ALSO READ:?Deal to end Zambia’s debt problem “probable”

Hakainde Hichilema sets perfect example for economic recovery (theexchange.africa)

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