African Research Centre for Climate and Environmental Justice (ARCCEJ - Africa)

ibromarxist: Ebola Virus Disease underscores the failure of global capitalism

Glimpses of the Revolts Tunisia: the Spark The wave of revolts and revolutions in MENA started with the self-immolation of Mohammed Bouzizi in Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia. The young man, 26, lighted himself in protest against frustrating repression by police, which destroyed his petty trade and humiliated him (and his family) on the market street of Tunis. This action was only a spark for the already latent anger of the masses, especially the youth and the working class, who took the Bouzizi’s suicide approach to the level of massive protests in the country. Despite widespread brutality by the hated but chronically corrupt police force, the protests got stronger and wider with youths from communities, schools, and working class elements, organizing from the grassroots to the national levels. The strength of the protests compelled the pro-regime trade union leadership, UGTT, to declare a strike after much delay, which finally collapsed the regime. Befor...

Revolt in Burkina Faso and the Challenge of Working People’s Alternative After what seems like atrophy in mass movements in Africa, aftermath of counterrevolutionary rise in countries of the Middle East and North Africa, the working people and youth of Burkina Faso have brought the issue of mass movement and revolution back to the political agenda. The attempt of corrupt and politically bankrupt Blaise Compaore to grant himself extra term(s) in addition to his 27-year old rule could now only bring the mass discontent already bottled up, to the fore. The working people, youth and the poor could not stomach a day extension for a government that would only assure more poverty and misery for the majority. Against all odds, and throwing their fears to the sea, the mass of working people and youth stormed onto the streets, and in a sign of clear revolutionary instincts, stormed the centres of power – the parliamentary building, the seat of government, Place de la Nati...

Introduction The events unfolding in the Middle East and North Africa (subsequently referred to as MENA) since December 2010 have been indeed breath taking. From Tunisia to Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and in a limited but complicated situations, Syria, one autocratic regime after another was challenged by mass movements. Some of these mass uprisings were successful in ejecting dictators from the rented palaces they have used the sweat, blood and flesh of working people to forcefully (and seemingly perpetually) occupy. However, most of the movements were derailed. In places like Bahrain (despite brutal crackdowns), Jordan, Algeria, Morocco, Iran and Saudi Arabia, the working people, youths and the downtrodden in general challenged their dictators and corrupt rulers. The small rats of the Maghreb had hitherto assumed the statures of giants having been given magnifying mirrors by imperialism as gifts for their subservience and turning in of their peoples’ lands to imperialist fiefdoms. Th...