Unest Reaches Oman

Sultan Qaboos (elitechoice.org)

Protests reached the placid Arab sultanate of Oman over the weekend, scoring a third day of protests against the poor conditions of life and the status of freedom in the country, in spite of the fact that in an attempt to prevent this situation the Sultan Qaboos bin Said had announced the creation of 50,000 government jobs and a program to help unemployment by ascribing some $390 per month to all who are looking for work.

Local media reports that a hypermarket was set on fire, and so were a police station, houses, cars, and a governor’s residence.

Unlike other countries, where protests were almost entirely centered on economic matters, the protests in Oman have also focused on political demands such as increase of power for the legislative body, and the change of government, and social reforms.

It is said that the demonstrators fell short of calling for the ouster of the sultan himself.

Protests in Sohar (elitechoice.org)

The most violent protests occurred in the industrial port of Sohar, where thousands of demonstrators clashed with the police on Sunday.

Police is said to have fired rubber bullets and live ammunition at them, and many people have died in the protests.

According to the health minister, only one person died in the unrest in Oman.

The country’s oil resources are smaller than the ones of other Gulf neighboring countries, and there is a serious lack of jobs, while those with a job are underpaid.

Sultan Qaboos has been ruling the country since the 1970s, and created some strategic ties with the United States and the United Kingdom.

Oman is the oldest independent nation and one of the ones that guard the straits of Hormuz, in the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, demonstrations continue in Iraq, Libya, Tunisian (where the protests continued even after the dictator was toppled), Egypt (where fresh protests occurred against the decisions made by the interim military power), Morroco, Algeria and Jordan.11