Region

TUNIS — Thousands gathered in the heart of Tunisia’s capital on Tuesday to celebrate the ninth anniversary of the popular revolution that deposed dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

On a flag-filled Habib Bourguiba Avenue, parents, children, men and women of all ages marched in a festive atmosphere, and gathered around musical groups.

Some held signs aloft, including “A people that managed to get rid of the dictatorship is capable of creating a better future” and “Impossible is not Tunisian!”

“I came with my children to relive the events of an important day in Tunisia’s history,” 44-year-old Mohamed Majed told AFP. “Despite the political situation, we are proud of our revolution.”

A heavy security presence was deployed along Bourguiba Avenue.

Close by, several hundred people gathered in front of the headquarters of the UGTT union confederation, shouting “Work! Freedom! Dignity!”, the revolution’s main slogan.

Addressing the crowd, Noureddine Tabboubi, secretary general of the powerful confederation, denounced a political class that he said wanted “to divide Tunisians”.

“Nine years have passed, and the political scene has gone rotten, with politicians who are more interested in power than the interests of the country,” Tabboubi said.

The deterioration of the situation, he added, had made the Tunisian state “weak, without prestige and incapable of enforcing the law”.

“We will not allow political amateurs to spread despair. The revolution will go on until the real republic has been established,” he vowed.

The anniversary celebration took place against a tense political backdrop, after Tunisia’s parliament last Friday rejected a government put forward by the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha Party.

Ennahdha emerged from October legislative elections with more seats than any other party, but was still far short of a majority.

It now falls on President Kais Saied — a fiercely independent academic with no background in politics who won a second round presidential run-off in October — to designate a prime minister capable of winning lawmakers’ confidence.

If Saied’s chosen candidate fails to form a government, the legislature would be dissolved.

MOSCOW — Libya's General Khalifa Haftar delayed signing a ceasefire agreement on Monday at talks in Moscow, but Russia's government said it was hopeful the country's warring rivals would soon conclude the deal to end nine months of fighting.

Talks on the terms of a ceasefire between Haftar's forces and the UN-recognised government headed by Fayez Al Sarraj went on for seven hours without the two delegations actually meeting, though Moscow noted "certain progress".

Sarraj's Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli has been under attack since last April from forces loyal to Haftar, who is based in the east of the country along with his loyalist politicians.

The two sides were expected to agree the terms of a ceasefire that took effect over the weekend, raising hopes of an end to the latest fighting to wrack the oil-rich North African country since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed longtime dictator Muammar Qadhafi.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Sarraj and the head of high council of state in Tripoli, Khaled al-Mechri, have signed the document, but Haftar and his ally Aguila Saleh “have asked for a bit more time until morning” to study it.

Turkey and Russia’s foreign and defence ministers acted as mediators, but the rival delegations did not apparently meet face-to-face.

“We have refused any meeting with Haftar,” Al Mechri was quoted as saying by Libya Al Ahrar television channel.

The ceasefire initiative was launched by President Vladimir Putin and Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who jointly called for a truce in Istanbul last week.

A fragile ceasefire went into effect from midnight Sunday, but Erdogan on Monday reiterated the “urgent necessity” for a permanent agreement after meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Putin on Saturday and he supported her drive to hold a peace conference sponsored by the United Nations. Berlin said on Monday the summit was planned for later this month.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday called for a “credible, lasting and verifiable” truce.

Western powers are keen to stabilise Libya — home to Africa’s largest proven crude reserves — because of concerns Islamist militants and migrant smugglers, already active, will take advantage of the chaos.

‘Turn page on past’ 

Sarraj on Monday called on Libyans to “turn the page on the past, reject discord and to close ranks to move towards stability and peace”.

Since the start of Haftar’s offensive against Tripoli, more than 280 civilians and about 2,000 fighters have been killed and 146,000 Libyans have been displaced, according to the United Nations.

Ankara dispatched troops — in a training capacity, it said — to support the GNA in January in a move criticised by European powers and US President Donald Trump.

The GNA has also signed agreements with Ankara assigning Turkey rights over a vast area of the eastern Mediterranean, in a deal denounced by France, Greece, Egypt and Cyprus.

Europe and North Africa have also launched a diplomatic offensive to try to prevent Libya, with the increased involvement of international players in its conflict, from turning into what Berlin calls a “second Syria”.

TEHRAN — Iran denied a "cover-up" on Monday after taking days to reveal an airliner was accidentally shot down last week, a disaster that sparked demonstrations and calls for a fully transparent investigation.

The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 was brought down by a missile shortly after taking off Wednesday from Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew on board.

The Kiev-bound plane was knocked out of the sky hours after Tehran had launched a wave of missiles at US troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian general.

The Islamic republic initially denied Western claims based on US intelligence that the airliner had been struck by a missile before acknowledging it on Saturday.

Its handling of the matter saw a memorial at a Tehran university turn into a demonstration on Saturday evening before it was dispersed by police.

Demonstrations were also held in the capital on Sunday night, according to unverified videos shared online, but it was difficult to assess how many people attended.

“I don’t know why they didn’t cancel the flights that night,” a Tehrani named Hamid told AFP.

Protesters chanted “Death to dictator” and against the Revolutionary Guard, Fars news agency said, a rare move for a country where media usually refer to demonstrators as “rioters” and refrain from publishing such slogans.

Internet monitor NetBlocks reported a drop in connectivity on Monday at Tehran’s Sharif University ahead of any new demonstrations.

“In these sorrowful days, many criticisms were directed at relevant officials and authorities,” said government spokesman Ali Rabiei.

“Some officials were even accused of lying and a cover-up but, in all honesty, that was not the case.”

The spokesman said all details provided by officials before Saturday’s revelation had been based on the information they had.

“All of those who expressed opinions on those days, at the peak of America’s psychological war... did so based on existing information at the time.”

‘Thorough investigation’ 

Germany called on Iran to allow people to show their grief and “protest peacefully and freely”.

Its Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr described as “very worrying” videos reportedly showing security forces cracking down on demonstrators.

Tehran’s police chief said officers had been ordered to show “restraint” after Sunday night’s gathering at iconic Azadi Square south of the city centre.

“The police treated the people who had gathered with patience and tolerance,” said Gen. Hossein Rahimi.

“The police did not shoot at the gatherings at all because a restraint order [had been issued] for police in the capital.”

President Hassan Rouhani promised a “thorough investigation” into the disaster in a phone call with Sweden’s Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, his office said.

The majority of those on Flight PS752 were Iranians and Canadians, including dual nationals. Others were Ukrainians, Afghans, Britons, seven Swedes and 10 people who resided in the Scandinavian country.

“We must strive to ensure that such a shocking incident is not repeated anywhere in the world,” Rouhani said.

The president noted the disaster occurred at a time of heightened tensions in the region after a US drone strike killed Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on January 3.

“We must all join hands to bring security back to the region and allow peace to prevail.”

‘Justice and accountability’ 

Iran has come under mounting international pressure to ensure its investigation into the tragedy is full and transparent.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told a memorial event in Edmonton for the 57 Canadians who lost their lives that “this tragedy struck our Iranian-Canadian community”.

“We want to assure all families and all Canadians that we will not rest until there are answers,” the Canadian leader said. “We will not rest until there is justice and accountability.”

Iran has invited experts from Canada, France, Ukraine and the United States to take part in the probe.

Despite footage from the site of disaster appearing to show bulldozers at work, the Revolutionary Guards’ top commander denied evidence had been tampered with.

“We didn’t touch anything,” said Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami.

“We didn’t move the wreckage of the aircraft, we didn’t change the scene, we didn’t move the air defence system, and we didn’t [alter] the radar readings.”

On the diplomatic front, Britain summoned Iran’s ambassador to London after its Tehran envoy was briefly arrested for allegedly attending the demonstration.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman said Britain would convey its “strong objections” over Rob Macaire’s arrest, calling it an “unacceptable breach” of diplomatic protocol.

TRIPOLI — Both sides in Libya's conflict agreed to a ceasefire from Sunday to end nine months of fighting, following weeks of international diplomacy and calls for a truce by power-brokers Russia and Turkey.

The oil-rich North African country has been wracked by bloody turmoil since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed long-time leader Muammar Qadhafi, with multiple foreign powers now involved.

The UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli had been under attack since last April from forces loyal to eastern-based strongman Khalifa Haftar, which on January 6 captured the strategic coastal city of Sirte.

Late on Saturday, Haftar's forces announced a ceasefire starting at midnight (Sunday 00:00 local time, Saturday 2200 GMT) in line with a joint call by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.

GNA head Fayez Al-Sarraj followed suit early Sunday, confirming the ceasefire had taken effect.

The UN mission in Libya welcomed the announcements and called on all parties "to respect the ceasefire" and support efforts to launch an inter-Libyan dialogue.

Likewise, the Arab League urged Libya's factions to "commit to stop the fighting, work on alleviating all forms of escalations and engage in good faith aimed at reaching permanent arrangements for a ceasefire".

Since the start of the offensive against Tripoli, more than 280 civilians and about 2,000 fighters have been killed and 146,000 Libyans displaced, according to the United Nations. 

Diplomatic offensive 

Sarraj stressed the GNA's "legitimate right ... to respond to any attack or aggression" that may come from the other side, while Haftar's forces warned of a "severe" response to any violation by the "opposing camp".

Artillery fire could be heard shortly after midnight in the capital, before quiet settled over the southern Tripoli suburb where pro-GNA forces have been resisting Haftar's offensive.

Contacted by AFP at noon, a spokesman for the pro-GNA forces, Mustafa Al Mejii, reported “a calm situation so far on the frontlines”.

The GNA later reported “violations” by “pro-Haftar militias” in the Salaheddine and Wadi Al Rabii areas south of the capital, “minutes after the ceasefire came into effect”. 

It also reiterated its “immutable position” that “any ceasefire initiative cannot succeed without the withdrawal of the aggressor from where they came”, from the country’s east and south.

Turkey’s defence ministry said: “The belligerents have been trying to respect these truces since they came into force... and the situation has been calm apart from one or two isolated incidents.”

The truce comes after a diplomatic offensive, led by Ankara and Moscow, which have established themselves as key players in Libya.

Ankara despatched military support to the GNA in January.

Erdogan and Putin called for a truce at a meeting last Wednesday in Istanbul, and Turkey later asked Russia to convince Haftar, who had initially vowed to fight on, to respect it.

Fears of a ‘second Syria’ 

Europe and North Africa have also launched a diplomatic offensive to try to prevent Libya, with the increased involvement of international players in its conflict, from turning into a “second Syria”.

European governments, also including former colonial power Italy, fear that Islamist militants and migrant smugglers, already highly active in Libya, will take further advantage of the chaos.

The US embassy in Libya, in a statement Saturday, voiced its “serious concern about toxic foreign interference in the conflict”.

It said “Russian mercenaries” had backed Haftar’s Libyan Arab Armed Forces, while “Turkish-supported Syrian fighters” had backed the GNA, a development that had “significantly degraded security, to the detriment of all Libyans”.

“All responsible Libyan parties should end this dangerous escalation and reject the destructive involvement by foreign forces,” the embassy said.

On Saturday, Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel at talks in Moscow threw their weight behind a Libya peace conference in Berlin being organised by UN special envoy Ghassan Salame that could be held in the coming weeks.

Putin on Saturday again denied Russia had deployed mercenaries to Libya, saying: “If there are Russians there, they do not represent the interests of the Russian state and do not receive money from it.”

DUBAI — The sultanate of Oman, positioned geographically and diplomatically between regional powers of Riyadh and Tehran, earned outsize influence under the long reign of the late Sultan Qaboos. 

As the health of the royal ruler declined, and speculation turned to who would succeed him in the absence of an heir, there were questions over the future of Oman and its role as a valued mediator in a troubled region.

However, with the passing on Friday of the 79-year-old sultan and the swift appointment of like-minded cousin Haitham bin Tariq as his successor, observers say Oman appears on track to retain its treasured status as a neutral peacemaker.

To do so though, the new sultan will need to navigate tricky geopolitical terrain as well as address economic challenges facing his own country.

During his half-century reign, Sultan Qaboos thoroughly modernised his country, but also forged a broader role as a go-between in regional and international crises.

In the high-stakes Iran nuclear crisis, Oman played a discreet role in dialogue between Tehran and Washington, leading to the 2015 deal involving Western powers, which three years later was unilaterally abandoned by US President Donald Trump.

In his first speech on Saturday, the new sultan pledged to follow in the footsteps of his influential predecessor.

He expressed support for “our country’s foreign policy of peaceful living among nations and peoples... and not interfering in the internal affairs of others”.

And he said that Oman would continue to “promote peaceful solutions” to regional and global crises.

Smooth succession 

The speed of the transition is seen as a sign that 65-year-old Haitham has the backing he will need to steer the country and maintain its diplomatic standing.

“The sultanate of Oman will no doubt continue to follow the same policy, from which it has benefitted so much,” said Bader Al Saif, an assistant professor at the University of Kuwait and an associate researcher at the Carnegie Middle East Centre.

The royal family’s prompt announcement is a “message to its citizens and neighbours to say that the situation is under control”.

Apart from guiding Oman’s foreign policy, Haitham also faces the task of rolling out “Vision 2040”, a roadmap for social and economic reforms designed to address high deficits, international debt and youth unemployment.

“The best guarantor of Oman’s neutrality will be a successful economic restructuring that draws upon its people and avoids too much reliance on any other power,” said Kristin Diwan of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

Warring powers 

Sultan Qaboos was synonymous with Oman’s international profile and many of the tributes since his passing have struck a warm and personal note. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who visited Muscat on Sunday to pay his respects, recalled a meeting with Qaboos where he was “struck by his commitment to peace and understanding between nations and between faiths”.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Saturday in a tweet — notably written in Arabic — that his death was a “loss for the region”.

Along with Zarif and Johnson, a ceremony on Sunday at Muscat’s Alam Palace drew figures from across political divides in the Middle East, including Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. 

The new sultan also welcomed Britain’s Prince Charles, former French leader Nicolas Sarkozy and Tunisian President Kais Saied, among others.

But observers say that despite his personal profile, Oman’s diplomatic expertise and its willingness to provide a discreet venue for delicate negotiations, goes well beyond Qaboos. 

In a region where the push and pull between Iran and Saudi Arabia is constant, analysts say it is also in Oman’s own interests to signal the transition does not present an opportunity for one of the powers to pull it to its side.

The new sultan has an “interest to present himself as someone who is going to... continue the legacy of a leader, such as Qaboos, who was considered to be successful”, said Sanam Vakil from the London-based Chatham House think tank.

“The message of continuity is very important because Oman faces economic vulnerabilities as well as challenges within the [Gulf] with anxieties about the past few years, where we’ve seen a very assertive Emirati and Saudi foreign policy.” 

The new sultan takes power at a time when aggressive foreign policy, which has seen Saudi and its ally the United Arab Emirates embroiled in a grinding five-year conflict in Yemen, is showing signs of dialling back.

Oman refrained from joining the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, and leveraged that neutrality to mediate the release of foreign hostages.

It also remained neutral in the damaging blockade against Qatar mounted by Saudi Arabia and allies that saw diplomatic and transport ties cut in June 2017.

“There is a strong rationale for balance and neutrality, rooted in its geography looking toward the Arabian Sea and history of independence from Gulf neighbours,” Diwan said.

“The new leadership will draw strongly upon Sultan Qaboos’ authority as it looks to navigate the difficult regional conflicts and economic challenges.”

TEHRAN — Iran signalled Sunday it favours "de-escalation" after 10 days of heightened tensions with the United States that saw both sides fire missiles and led Tehran to accidentally shoot down a passenger aircraft.

Security was stepped up in Iran's capital after a vigil the previous night for those killed in the air disaster turned into an angry protest and police temporarily arrested the British ambassador for being there.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned Iran against harming demonstrators and against a repeat of a deadly crackdown against rallies in November sparked by a fuel price hike.

"To the leaders of Iran - DO NOT KILL YOUR PROTESTERS," Trump tweeted in his occasional all-capitals style.

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, however, said Trump was still willing to "sit down and discuss without precondition a new way forward" with Iran, but Tehran has steadfastly refused to hold talks with Washington unless it lifts sanctions first.

Tehran said it was interested in easing tensions in the region amid a standoff with arch-enemy Washington, which on January 3 killed a revered Iranian general, Quds Force chief Qassem Soleimani, in a Baghdad drone strike. 

‘A critical time’ 

In a meeting between Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani and the emir of Qatar, both sides agreed de-escalation is the “only solution” to the regional crisis, the emirate’s ruler said afterwards.

Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region but also enjoys strong ties with Iran, with which it shares the world’s largest gas field.

“This visit comes at a critical time in the region,” Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani said on what was believed to be his first official visit to the Islamic republic.

“We agreed... that the only solution to these crises is de-escalation from everyone and dialogue.”

For his part, Rouhani said: “Given the importance of security of the region... we’ve decided to have more consultations and cooperation for the security of the entire region.”

Also on Sunday, Hossein Salami, commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said that missiles it fired early on Wednesday on Iraqi bases housing US troops did not represent an attempt to kill American personnel.

“Our aim was not really to kill enemy soldiers. That was not important,” he told parliament.

The current crisis claimed a tragic toll when Iran — on hair-triggered alert just after attacking the Iraqi bases — last Wednesday accidentally shot down the Ukraine International Airlines plane, killing all 176 people aboard.

After days of denial from Iran, Rouhani on Saturday admitted to “human error” in bringing down the Boeing 737, and the Guards’ aerospace commander Gen. Amirali Hajizadeh accepted full responsibility.

On Saturday evening, a memorial at Tehran’s Amir Kabir University in honour of those killed turned into a demonstration that, AFP correspondents said, was attended by hundreds of students.

They shouted “death to liars” and demanded the resignation and prosecution of those responsible, Fars news agency reported, saying that police “dispersed” them.

Around the same time, Iranian police temporarily arrested the British ambassador, Rob Macaire, who had attended the vigil, sparking a fresh diplomatic crisis.

Macaire tweeted Sunday that “I wasn’t taking part in any demonstrations! Went to an event advertised as a vigil for victims of #PS752 tragedy”.

“Normal to want to pay respects — some of victims were British. I left after 5 minutes, when some started chanting,” he said.

‘Death to Britain’ 

Fars news agency said Macaire was summoned on Sunday to Iran’s foreign ministry for his “presence in illegal gatherings”.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran’s official protest was conveyed to him and to the British government,” it said, citing the ministry.

Later on Sunday up to 200 protesters rallied outside the British diplomatic mission, chanting “Death to Britain” and burning a Union Jack.

Elsewhere in Tehran, tensions appeared to be mounting again, with a heavy police presence notably around the iconic Azadi Square south of the centre.

Riot police armed with water cannon and batons were seen at Amir Kabir, Sharif and Tehran universities as well as Enqelab Square. 

Around 50 Basij militiamen brandishing paintball guns, potentially to mark protesters to authorities, were also seen near Amir Kabir.

The destruction of the airliner has sparked deep shame in Iran, and several newspapers called for resignations and sackings over the handling of the air disaster.

ISTANBUL — Turkey on Saturday asked Russia to convince eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar to respect a ceasefire initiative by Ankara and Moscow that he has rejected. 

"We are waiting for our Russian friends to succeed in convincing Haftar," Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a news conference.

In a statement read by his spokesman Ahmad Al Mesmari, Haftar claimed that a revival of the political process and the country's stability could only be assured by the "eradication of terrorist groups" and the dissolution of militia controlling Tripoli.

An adviser to Haftar later told AFP that Haftar's position did not amount to a rejection of the ceasefire initiative, but rather "conditions that must be fulfilled" ahead of any truce.

Haftar's forces in April launched an offensive against the capital, seat of the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin called for a ceasefire on Wednesday in Istanbul.

Cavusoglu accused "regional nations" — a reference to Arab countries backing Haftar and also to France — of opposing a ceasefire.

"France is looking for any means to sabotage any initiative which it is not party to," he said.

Turkey last week started deploying troops in Libya to back the GNA led by Fayez Al Sarraj.

Cavusoglu also said Saturday that a new ceasefire brokered by Ankara and Moscow was due to come into force at 0001 GMT Sunday in Idlib, the last rebel bastion in Syria's northwest.

"We hope that it will be lasting this time and that Russia will be able to control the regime forces," he said.

Meanwhile, EU Council President Charles Michel arrived in Turkey Saturday for talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on reducing tensions in Libya after Ankara began deploying troops there.

Michel tweeted Saturday that he would meet with Erdogan "on how #EU and Turkey can work together to de-escalate the situation in the Middle East and in Libya".