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Middle East protests: Country by country

Following the fall of the presidents of Egypt and Tunisia, unrest has been spreading throughout the region. Could a domino effect sweep more leaders from power?

Libya

Libyan rebels brandish weapons in the east of the country

An uprising against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's rule which began on 16 February has developed into an armed conflict pitting rebels against government forces and drawing in a Nato-led coalition with a UN mandate to protect civilians. Several thousand people have been killed and many more have been injured as the two sides battle for control over territory. The country's vital coastal cities are now roughly split between pro-Gaddafi forces controlling the capital, Tripoli, and the west, and rebels controlling Benghazi in the east. The rebel-held western port city of Misrata was besieged for weeks, with what human rights groups said had been great loss of life. But it was declared liberated by rebel forces in mid-May. Coalition operations have been largely confined to air attacks. These were initially aimed at imposing a no-fly zone and later widened to government targets. The UN Security Council resolution 1973 authorises "all necessary measures short of occupation". A Nato air strike on Tripoli on 30 April killed Col Gaddafi's youngest son, Saif alArab Gaddafi, and three of Col Gaddafi's grandchildren, leading to the UN withdrawing all its international staff from the Libyan capital after a mob attack on its offices. In power since 1969, Col Gaddafi is the longest-serving ruler in Africa and the Middle East, and also one of the most autocratic. In May, the International Criminal Court's top prosecutor said there was enough evidence to charge Col Gaddafi, his son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, and Libya's intelligence chief, Brig Gen Abdullah Sanussi, with crimes against humanity. The announcement by Luis Moreno-Ocampo followed an investigation by the ICC after Libya's referral by the UN Security Council in February. The UN believes at least 335,000 people have fled Libya since the beginning of the conflict, including at least 200,000 foreign nationals.

Middle East unrest

Country Unrest Index* Corruption Poverty Age** Literacy
SOURCES: *SHOE-THROWER'S INDEX FROM THE ECONOMIST, TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL 2010 CORRUPTION INDEX (HIGHER NUMBER = GREATER CORRUPTION), WORLD BANK, CIA WORLD FACTBOOK, UN (** MEDIAN AGE)

12 June 2011 Last updated at 16:51 ET

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Jordan's King Abdullah vows to allow elected cabinets

By Dale Gavlak BBC News, Amman

Few protesters have called for King Abdullah to become only a figurehead ruler Continue reading the main story Related Stories

Clashes at Jordanian protest camp Middle East protests: Country by country Country profile: Jordan

King Abdullah of Jordan has bowed to demands for reform, saying future cabinets will be formed according to an elected parliamentary majority. In a televised speech marking his 12th year as Jordan's ruler, King Abdullah promised to relinquish his right to appoint prime ministers and cabinets. It is the first time he has made such a concession publicly to his citizens, and follows six months of protests. But he did not say when exactly this would take place.

It is believed the king first wants to see Jordan's splintered 33 political parties merge into three main political blocs from which cabinets can be formed. Jordanians taking part in the mainly peaceful protests have been demanding more political say and that the monarch loosen his absolute grip on power, which includes appointing prime ministers and cabinets. Although they have demanded new parliamentary elections and some changes to the constitution to give them more democratic rights, most say they do not want the king to become a figurehead ruler, such as the UK's Queen Elizabeth II. King Abdullah added that more reforms would be announced, including new election and political party laws, but warned that sudden change could lead to "chaos and unrest" like in other Arab countries. Jordan has averted the turmoil seen in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. At the outset of the protests in February, the king sacked his prime minister who protesters accused of being insensitive to their economic hardships and quickly set up a national dialogue committee to discuss much needed political and economic reforms. Protests in the country, an ally of the United States, have been relatively small and generally peaceful, although one person has died and tens were wounded in the occasional unrest.