Most recent articles by Karim El-Gawhary
-
Obituary for Hosni MubarakEgypt's 'pharaoh' is dead
Egypt's former long-term president is dead. His ailing political and economic legacy is now in the hands of the country's present-day authoritarian rulers. An obituary from Cairo by Karim El-Gawhary
-
The assassination of Qassem SoleimaniU.S.-Iranian conflict set to escalate
Trump’s sweet revenge could swiftly turn bitter, after all the U.S. attack is a direct declaration of war against the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and its elite Quds troops commanded by Soleimani. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Unrest in the Arab worldThe genie is out of the bottle
The Arab world is one gigantic pressure cooker. For the most part the lid of repression is on, but it is boiling over with increasing frequency. Whether in Lebanon, Iraq or in Algeria, where people are rising up against political despotism and corruption. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Protesting for reform and an end to corruptionIraq's youth reject the dire status quo
More than a hundred dead and thousands injured: this is the brutal tally thus far of the current unrest in Iraq. Neither the country's political landscape, nor the ubiquitous confessional take on Iraqi politics offer much in the way of explanation. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Protests in EgyptSisi's social media nightmare
Despite ongoing repression, hundreds of people took to the streets in Egypt at the weekend to demand the resignation of President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi. The protests were triggered by a hitherto largely unknown building contractor and his revelations about the Egyptian army. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Houthi attacks on Saudi oil facilitiesHitting Saudi Arabia where it hurts
After the drone attacks on two oil plants in Saudi Arabia, U.S. President Trump warned that the USA was ready with a "loaded" weapon to react to the attacks. But against whom is his warning directed? By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Sudanese opposition and military council in agreementSudanʹs first steps towards democracy?
Following weeks of unrest, the governing military council and protest movement in Sudan have reached agreement over a transitional administration. But scepticism remains over whether the military will actually cede power
-
Political crisisSudanʹs deadly counter-revolutionary militia
In the struggle between demonstrators and the military for a civilian-led state, the successors to Darfur’s notorious Janjaweed militia could end up as the cats that got the cream. That the group is financed by autocratic Gulf states makes it even more suspect. Karim El-Gawhary reports from Khartoum
-
After the ousting of Omar al-BashirSudan holding out for real change
The political future of Sudan must now be hammered out from a precarious starting point. Demonstrators in Khartoum cannot instigate a new beginning without the old institutions; and the transition from toppled dictator to his former military allies will not be seamless. By Karim El-Gawhary
-
U.S.A. recognises Israeli annexationWhy so silent over the Golan?
U.S. President Donald Trump has disregarded international law by recognising Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. But why have reactions to the move thus far been so muted? By Karim El-Gawhary
-
Peace talks in StockholmYemenis – pawns in a cynical game
The problem with peace negotiations is always that the perpetrators of war represent the only hope for a resolution. In the case of Yemen, the talks are being conducted by the very same warring parties that led the nation into what is currently the world′s greatest humanitarian crisis. Commentary by Karim El-Gawhary
-
Internecine strugglesLibyaʹs free for all
Libya is today the scene of political chaos that is difficult to fathom from the outside. Two governments, one in the west and one in the east, are fighting for supremacy. And even within the power blocs there are military conflicts between the different militias. By Karim El-Gawhary