Monday, December 31, 2012

Iraq Weekly Roundup. Last week in 2012


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week. At least 21 people were killed and 55 injured in nationwide incidents, a relatively low figure for the country.

A total of 21 bomb attacks left two people dead and 42 injured. Most of the devices were small and evidently low-yielding in terms of the number of casualties caused. There were no suicide bombings reported.

Small arms fire attacks left 17 people dead and five injured. Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left one person dead and three injured. Two people were also abducted although one was freed by the police a few hours later.

Violence was concentrated in the centre of the country, as well as the northern city of Mosul which saw more attacks than anywhere else. The south of the country was relatively quiet although the authorities are preparing for possible attacks over the coming days. The Kurdish region also saw ongoing Turkish military operations against Kurdish rebels in the mountains.

At the time of writing a series of additional bombings have also been reported around the country, with casualties reported in Babil, Diyala and Ta'mim provinces. Shi'ah pilgrims are amongst the victims and more such attacks against them should be anticipated over the coming days as they gather to mark Arba'een, due to culminate on 3 January.



_____________________________
Source: AKE Group

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

يا عرب لا تنسوا جرائم القاعدة في بلدانكم في العام الماضي لكي لا تسمحوا لهم بأرتكاب المزيد من الجرائم ..


https://sites.google.com/site/yearintakfir/arabiyya 

Iraq Security weekly roundup


Levels of violence rose in Iraq last week. At least 97 people were killed and 327 injured in nationwide incidents, which is moderately high for the country, and an increase from the previous week.

A total of 41 non-suicide bomb attacks left 74 people dead and 289 injured. Two additional suicide bombings left nine people dead and 31 injured.

Of particular note were two seemingly co-ordinated bombings in Hillah and Karbala on 29 November which left dozens of people dead and injured.

A bus containing 20 army recruits was also taken captive by armed militants in Salah ad-Din province on 30 November, but the army was able to rescue the vehicle and the captives within a few hours.

There was a consistent number of small arms fire attacks, which left 14 people dead and seven injured. There were no indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) reported.

Violence was spread relatively evenly throughout urbanised parts of the central and northern provinces. The south of the country was relatively quiet.

Tensions remain high between the Baghdad and Kurdish authorities over disputed territories in the central north region of the country. There will remain the potential for localised spats, political tirades and even a wider escalation, although at present both sides are more likely to pursue a diplomatic solution than a costly confrontation.



_____________________________________
Sources: AKE, MOH, MOI, MOD, INA

Monday, November 26, 2012

Iraq weekly roundup 26-Nov.12

Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week. At least 20 people were killed and 53 injured in nationwide incidents – a low figure for the country.

Even more remarkable is the fact that the weekend saw the Shi'ah holy period of Ashura, which has previously seen severe bouts of terrorist violence aimed at Shi'ah civilians. There were some attacks, but the security forces appear to have limited the extent of the expected violence fairly substantially.

Throughout the week a total of 26 non-suicide bomb attacks left 12 people dead and 42 injured – a low figure. An additional suicide bombing in the north-west of Mosul injured five people.

Shooting attacks left seven people dead and four injured. Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left one person dead and two injured.

Attacks were concentrated in the northern cities of Kirkuk and Mosul, as well as along a belt of settlements running from Rawa in Anbar province towards Kifl in Babil province, with notable clusters around Ramadi and Fallujah.

In Salah ad-Din province there was a spate of attacks in Tikrit on 20 November, while tensions between the federal and Kurdish security forces remain high around Tuz Khurmatu.

Baghdad was unusually quiet; there were no major incidents recorded in Kurdish Regional Government territory; there was only one attack recorded in the south.

___________________________
Source: AKE

Monday, November 19, 2012

Iraq Security Weekly Roundup


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week. At least 39 people were killed and 202 injured in nationwide incidents. However, conditions may worsen over the coming week as terrorists could attempt to target Shi'ah religious interests as worshippers gather ahead of Ashura, due around 23-24 November.

A total of 37 non-suicide bomb attacks left 23 people dead and 143 injured last week. This is a relatively normal figure for the country. There were also two additional suicide bombings in the central provinces which left at least nine people dead and 40 injured.

There was a fall in the overall number of small arms fire attacks reported, with seven people killed and 16 injured in such attacks. Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left three people injured. Three people were also released from captivity in police operations after having been abducted by different criminal groups in the central and northern provinces.

Violence was concentrated in the cities of Fallujah, Ba'qubah and Mosul, as well as throughout the provinces of Ta'mim and Salah ad-Din. The south of the country was very quiet, aside from a bombing in Qadissiyah province. There were also two rare attacks recorded in Sulaymaniyah in the northern Kurdish Regional Government territory, while Turkish military operations against suspected PKK sties also took place in Dahuk province.



_______________________________________
Source: AKE, INA, FP

( أناتولي تسيغانوك) خبير عسكري روسي: الشرق الأوسط يخضع لعملية إعادة تموضع القوى


مقابلة  مع الخبير العسكري الروسي تسيكَانوك  حول الوضع في الشرق الاوسط من خلال المقابلة التي اجرتها قناة روسيا اليوم باللغة العربية 

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Iraq Weekly Roundup 06-Nov.12


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week, and AKE suspects this may be linked to ongoing counter-insurgency operations initiated by the security forces in the central and northern provinces. At least 19 people were killed and 25 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 14 bomb attacks left six people dead and 16 injured, a notable drop from the previous week. Small arms fire attacks left 12 people dead and nine injured. There were no suicide attacks or indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) reported.

Violence was concentrated in Anbar province, which currently resembles a low-level battleground, with several police and army operations targeting suspected radical Islamist militants in the area. The response to this has been a series of terrorist attacks against the security forces in urban parts of the east of the province.

Ninawa province was the next most hostile area, with several attacks recorded in Mosul. Baghdad and Diyala province on the other hand saw no violence at all, a very rare occurrence, although the calm was shattered by a car bomb attack in the east of the capital earlier on 5 November.


__________________________________________
Source: AKE Group

Monday, October 29, 2012

Iraq weekly roundup 29-Oct.12



Summary
The overall number of attacks taking place in Iraq rose over the past week, part of a three-week overall increase in violence countrywide. At least 71 people were killed and 209 injured in nationwide incidents, which is a jump from the previous week.

As warned in last week's report, terrorists targeted civilians gathered at mosques and in their homes to commemorate the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha. Even the normally well-defended district of Kadhimiyah in Baghdad was hit. Otherwise, violence was concentrated elsewhere in the north of the capital, as well as Mosul, Kirkuk and Diyala province.

In total, at least 32 non-suicide bomb attacks left 35 people dead and 177 injured countrywide. An additional suicide bombing in Fallujah left one person dead and five more injured. Small arms fire attacks left three people dead and five injured. Four people were abducted in separate incidents in Kirkuk in the north and Amarah in the south.

There was an unusually high number of indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars), which left seven people dead and two injured. This may constitute a statistical and coincidental blip, but organisations are advised to review their emergency measures to deal with indirect fire attacks. The attacks are not currently cause for alarm, but they will be worthy of greater attention if the attacks continue for another week.


__________________________________________
Resource: AKE Group

Monday, August 6, 2012

Iraq Weekly Roundup WEEK # 32


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week, but conditions are still relatively worse than normal, particularly in the central region. At least 100 people were killed and 148 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 31 bomb attacks left 52 people dead and 112 injured, a fall from the previous week. There was a rise in the number of small arms fire attacks, which left 43 people dead and 36 injured.

The main hubs of violence were Fallujah, Ba'qubah, Tikrit, Baghdad, Kirkuk and Mosul. The south of the country saw no major incidents. Aside from a small demonstration in Sulaymaniyah and ongoing Turkish military operations on the border, Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) territory was also quiet.

A spate of attacks targeted the security forces in the central provinces on 2 August while several planned breakouts and attacks on prisons took place. An Iraqi journalist was also shot dead in Mosul on 31 July.

Tensions continue to rise between the Kurdish and Federal authorities, with a non-violent but potentially explosive standoff occurring between the Peshmerga and Iraqi army in a disputed area of Ninawa province over the course of the week. The federal troops have since withdrawn but the situation may escalate once again along the disputed belt of Ninawa, Diyala and Ta'mim provinces.

Note that the government has implemented a ruling granting a public day off on every Thursday during Ramadan.


____________________________
Source: AKE

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Iraq Weekly Roundup WEEK # 31

Levels of violence rose considerably in Iraq last week, and it was the worst recorded so far this year in terms of casualties.

At least 150 people were killed and 386 injured in nationwide incidents, many of which took place on 23 July as mass-casualty attacks swept the country.

A total of 70 bomb attacks left 97 people dead and 357 injured. There were two additional suicide bombings but for a change they failed to cause any casualties.

Small arms fire attacks left 49 people dead and 29 injured.

The most violent province was Salah ad-Din, a former hotspot of al-Qaeda activity. It would seem that al-Qaeda and its affiliates are trying to re-establish a presence in the area.

Ta'mim in the north of the country also saw several attacks, overshadowing the normally more hazardous province of Ninawa. Diyala province also saw several attacks.


_____________________________________________ 
Source: AKE

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Iraq Security in a week !


Levels of violence fell in Iraq last week. At least 42 people were killed and 83 injured in nationwide incidents, which is a six-week low for the country.



Attacks were concentrated in the northern city of Mosul and scattered throughout the central provinces. The south of the country was relatively quiet. Turkish military operations also continue in the mountainous border of Kurdistan.



Countrywide, a drop in the number of small arms fire attacks left 17 people dead and 14 injured. There was only one indirect fire attack reported, with a mortar landing close to the residence of prime minister Nuri al-Maliki in the International/Green Zone in Baghdad. No casualties were reported during the incident. Three people were also reportedly abducted by criminal gangs in the north and centre of the country.



A total of 38 bomb attacks left 22 people dead and 69 injured. It would appear that most of the devices were relatively small, usually causing injuries rather than fatalities.



There were no suicide bombings reported, although such attacks may become more frequent over the coming five weeks as Ramadan takes place (the holy month is often associated with suicide attacks).

_____________________________
Source: AKE Intell.

Sunday, May 20, 2012

نص اتفاقية اربيل



الكثير منّا يسمع بأتفاقية اربيل و لكن الاكثر لا يعرفون ما هي, فيما يلي هو نص اتفاق اربيل: 
تعد اتفاقية اربيل الاساس الذي تم تشكيل الحكومة العراقية بموجبها فبعد الاتفاق بين رئيس القيم كردستان مسعود بارزاني ورئيس ائتلاف دولة القانون نوري المالكي ورئيس القائمة العراقية اياد علاوي على تشكيل الحكومة برئاسة نوري المالكي اسند لثلاثة اعضاء وضع اتفاقية كاملة سميت باتفاقية اربيل وهم كل من روز نوري شاويس ممثل التحالف الكردستاني وحسن السنيد ممثل التحالف الوطني وسلمان الجميلي ممثل القائمة العراقية .
الا ان هذه الاتفاقية سادها لغطا كبيرا حيث تم تبادل الاتهامات بين العراقية ودولة القانون اذ ان العراقية تقول ان الاتفاقية لم تنفذ فيما يقول دولة القانون ان الاتفاقية نفذت بكامل بنودها باستثناء بعض الفقرات.
وطالبت المرجعية الدينية يوم امس ممثلة بوكيلها السيد احمد الصافي بنشر اتفاقية اربيل فيما كشف رئيس كتلة التحالف الكردستاني فؤاد معصوم اليوم عن انه سيتم نشر الاتفاقية وانه لاتوجد اية اتفاقات سرية فيها.
وفي ما يلي نص البنود التسعة:
المحور الأول/ الجانب الاداري والمالي:
1- امتياز الاعضاء : اعادة النظر بالقوانين الصادرة الخاصة بامتيازات الاعضاء واستبدالهم (الحقوق، الرواتب، الحمايات، التقاعد، الصلاحيات المالية والادارية).
2- اصلاح الدائرة البرلمانية: وتقوية كادرها كي تقوم بمسؤوليتها في تهيئة القوانين للتشريع ومتابعة قوانين اللجان المختلفة ضمن سقف زمني محدد وعدم اهمال القوانين المقدمة على شكل مشروع او مقترح قانون من والى المجلس.
المحور الثاني/ التشريعات والقوانين:
1- اعادة تشكيل لجنة التعديلات الدستورية : بما يكفل مشاركة حقيقية لجميع الكتل الفائزة في هذه اللجنة وانجاز التعديلات المتفق عليها.
2- السقف الزمني للتشريعات : وضع سقف زمني لتشريع جميع القوانين التي أوجز الدستور تشريعها لكنها لم تشرع وان يتم ذلك بالتنسيق بين الدائرة البرلمانية واللجنة القانونية واللجان البرلمانية المختصة من جهة ورئاسة المجلس والكتل السياسية من جهة اخرى وحسب الاسبقية والاولوية التالية:
- قانون المحكمة الاتحادية
- قانون النفط والغاز
- قانون المصالحة الوطنية
- قانون تنظيم الاجهزة الامنية
- قانون الاحزاب
- قانون مجلس الاتحاد
- قانون الانتخابات
- قانون مفوضية الانتخابات
- قانون شبكة الاعلام
- قانون هيئة النزاهة
- قانون المفتشين العامين
- قانون ديوان الرقابة المالية
- قانون هيئة التوازن
- قانون الايرادات الاتحادية
- قانون السلطة التنفيذية
- قانون العمل الصحفي وحماية الصحفيين
3- تشكيل اللجان البرلمانية الدائمة : وتوزيع رئاستها ونيابتها والمقررين وفق الاستحقاق الانتخابي والتوازن الدستوري.
المحور الثالث / الدور الرقابي
1- تفعيل ارتباط الهيئات المستقلة بمجلس النواب: وفقا للدستور (هيئة النزاهة، ديوان الرقابة المالية، شبكة الاعلام، هيئة الاتصالات والاعلام) وطبقا لقرار المحكمة الاتحادية.
2- انهاء ومعالجة قضية المسؤولية او المنصب الرسمي بالوكالة (وزير وكالة، رئيس هيئة، ووكيل وزارة...الخ) خلال ثلاثة اشهر من بداية عمل مجلس النواب مع ضمان التوازن الدستوري.
3- تفعيل دور اجهزة الاعلام المختلفة باعتبارها سلطة رابعة وتشريع قانون العمل الصحفي وقانون حماية الصحفيين.
4- وضع آلية واضحة ومتفق عليها لاستدعاء واستجواب اعضاء السلطة التنفيذية وعدم ترك ذلك لتفسير الرئاسة.
المحور الرابع/ ورقة اصلاح الملف الأمني
1- قانون الاجهزة الامنية وصلاحياتها
اقرار قانون الاجهزة الامنية الذي يحدد الاجهزة الامنية العاملة ومهام وصلاحية كل جهاز لتحقيق حالة التكامل وتجنب التقاطعات في اختصاصات الاجهزة الامنية.
2- ضرورة تاهيل الاجهزة الامنية بما يحقق اعلى درجات المهنية.
3- اخضاع الاجهزة الامنية للمساءلة في مجلس النواب (وفقا للسياقات الدستورية) وسن القوانين اللازمة لفرض اشد العقوبات القانونية بالجهات التي يثبت انها تتخابر لصالح جهات اجنبية.
4- التحقق مع جميع القيادات والعناصر الامنية التي ترد شكاوى ضدها بارتكاب خروقات لحقوق الانسان وعدم منح الحصانة لاي منها ولاي مبرر كان.
5- تفعيل دور مجالس المحافظات وفق الدستور وقانون مجالس اجهزة المحافظات بما يضمن تنفيذ قرارات تلك المجالس المتعلقة بالملف الامني.
6- انشاء مراكز بحثية للاستفادة من المتقاعدين.
7- ضبط وتعزيز الحدود بالاجهزة الحديثة بما يضمن السيطرة على الحدود.
8- التشدد مع المتسللين عبر الحدود بصورة غير شرعية.
9- تشكيل جهاز خاص بالطوارئ لمتابعة حالات الكوارث الوطنية وتقديم الحلول والمعالجات السريعة اللازمة للمناطق المتضررة.
10- تعزيز دور وصلاحيات جهاز المخابرات الوطني وبناء كوادره بما يلزم متطلبات الامن الوطني للعراق ومكافحة التجسس ومتابعة النشاط الاستخباري الامني على الاراضي العراقية وسن القوانين الفعالة بهذا الشان.
المحور الخامس/ ورقة الاصلاح القضائي
1- عدم جواز الجمع بين رئاسة مجلس القضاء الاعلى ورئاسة المحكمة الاتحادية او محكمة التمييز.
2- الاسراع باقرار قانون المحكمة الاتحادية والاتفاق على تسمية اعضائها.
3- الاسراع بتشكيل قانون السلطة القضائية وفق الدستور وتفعيل وتطوير عمل جهاز الادعاء العام.
4- الاسراع باقرار قانون مجلس القضاء الاعلى.
5- حظر عمل القضاة خارج تشكيلات مجلس القضاء الاعلى
6- مراجعة قانون الارهاب.
التوازن في مؤسسات الدولة
المحور السادس/ تحقيق التوازن الوطني في :
أ – وكلاء الوزارات
ب- السفراء
ت – رؤساء الهيئات والمفوضية المستقلة.
ث – في الوزارات الاحادية والمؤسسات العسكرية والامنية من درجة مدير عام فما فوق او ما يقابله (قيادات الفرق، ديوان الوزارات الخ....).
2- يقر قانون هيئة التوازن في فترة لا تتجاوز الستة اشهر منذ بدء لجان البرلمان اعمالها وتؤسس الهيئة مباشرة بعد نفاذ القانون بتوافق الكتل.
3- تعتمد الهيئة التوازن الدستوري وتضمن حقوق جميع الاقاليم والمحافظات في جميع مؤسسات الدولة بما في ذلك المؤسسات الامنية والعسكرية ولجميع المستويات.
4- تفعيل دور مجالس الوزارات والهيئات المستقلة ومنح صلاحيات مناسبة لوكلاء الوزارات ومعاوني رؤساء الهيئات المستقلة لتحقيق المشاركة.
5- تفعيل الدستور والقوانين ذات العلاقة بالتعيين والتوظيف والاسراع في تأسيس (مجلس الخدمة الاتحادي) الذي نصت عليه المادة 107 من الدستور واقره مجلس النواب السابق في فصله الاخير.
المحور السابع/ اصلاح عمل السلطة التنفيذية
1- اعتماد مبدأ الكفاءة والمهنية وتحقيق التوازن الدستوري في الوظائف العامة طبقا لقانون مجلس الخدمة العامة.
2- اعادة التوازن الدستوري الناتج عن تعيينات الفترة الماضية وضمان تمثيل المحافظات دستوريا (غير متفق عليها).
3- ضمان المشاركة الحقيقية للاطراف المؤتلفة في الحكومة في صناعة القرار (السياسي، الامني، الاقتصادي).
4- اقرار نظام داخلي متفق عليه ينظم عمل مجلس الوزراء ويحدد السياقات والصلاحيات للمجلس ولاعضائه.
5- تنظيم المؤسسات الامنية غير المنصوص عليها في الدستور في الوزارات الامنية كل حسب اختصاصه وحسبما تسمح الظروف الامنية بذلك وبالتدرج
6- ترتبط المبادرة التعليمية والزراعية بالوزارات المختصة ولا تتخذ اية مبادرة مستقبلا الا بقرار مجلس الوزراء.
7- تفعيل الدور الاشرافي لمجلس الوزراء على الاداء الوزاري.
8- تفعيل معالجة ظاهرة الفساد الاداري والمالي.
9- الالتزام بوحدة الخطاب الحكومي الرسمي.
10- منع الجمع بين المناصب التشريعية والتنفيذية.
11- منع التدخل المباشر بأعمال الوزارات عبر الوكلاء والمستشارين والمدراء العامين لصالح اية جهة حزبية والتعامل مع الوزير بصيغة الرئيس الاعلى لوزارته.
12- يلتزم رئيس مجلس الوزراء والوزراء كافة بقرارات مجلس الوزراء والقوانين النافذة باعتبارهم يمثلون الدولة في وزاراتهم وليسوا ممثلين لمكوناتهم او كتلهم السياسية ومن يخالف تتخذ الخطوات اللازمة لاقالته.
13- يكون المفتش العام في الوزارة من غير كتلة الوزير.
المحور الثامن/ التوافق الوطني
1- في القضايا المصيرية مثل (الحرب والسلم، والاتفاقات الستراتيجية، والتعديلات الدستورية) يكون بالتوافق 100 بالمائة.
2- في القضايا الستراتيجية والمهمة فيكون التصويت بنسبة اكثرية النصف زائد واحد.
3- في القضايا الاجرائية اليومية يكون التصويت بنسبة نصف زائد واحد.
المحور التاسع/ المساءلة والعدالة والمصالحة الوطنية
1- تجميد قرارات الهيئة الحالية ما عدا تمشية الامور الروتينية.
2- تشكيل هيئة المساءلة والعدالة وفقا للقانون.
3- اعادة النظر بقانون المساءلة والعدالة من خلال اجراء التعديلات ويتم الاتفاق عليها لغرض عدم استخدام القانون بمعايير مزدوجة او لاغراض سياسية ويتم التعامل مع الملف وفق القانون.
 

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Iraq Security for the last week


Summary
Levels of violence fell slightly in Iraq last week. At least 27 people were killed and 73 injured in nationwide incidents.

A total of 19 non-suicide bomb attacks left 16 people dead and 55 injured. This constitutes a lower than normal figure for the country, although the decline is likely to be temporary. Two further suicide bombings in Anbar province and Baghdad left three people dead and 11 injured.

Small arms fire attacks left five people dead and five injured. Indirect fire attacks (rockets and mortars) left two people injured. There were no abductions reported, but no one was reportedly freed from captivity either.

Violence was concentrated in Mosul in the north, as well as Baghdad, Ba’qubah and eastern Anbar province. The south of the country was quiet. A protest took place in Arbil in the normally quiet region of Kurdistan but the overall security environment in the region remains relatively good.


 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Worlwide Risk Report

Bahrain
Seven policemen were wounded when an improvised explosive device (IED) was detonated at a protest in the village of Eker, near the capital Manama on 10 April. Levels of violence have gradually escalated over recent months, and are likely to raise questions over the efficacy of continuing with the Bahrain Grand Prix, due to take place in April.

Chile
A bomb exploded outside a Banco de Estado branch on Jose Pedro Alessandri avenue in Santiago’s Macul district on 9 April. The device was rudimentary and caused only superficial damage; this means of attack coupled with the anarchist pamphlets found nearby suggest a small, anarchist group was responsible. The incident follows a spate of attacks against bank branches in February.

Colombia
The head of the FARC denied that the group is weakening, and launched several attacks on military targets over the weekend to reinforce the point. A bomb attack in Putumayo and an ambush in the Choco killed up to nine troops. Attacks on the military are likely to intensify as the FARC concentrates its efforts on government targets and regional groups articulate their dissatisfaction with central committee policies.

Kosovo
A bomb detonated in the northern town of Mitrovica killed an ethnic Albanian man and injured his family members on 8 April. Mitrovica is a flashpoint for inter-ethnic violence between Albanians and Serbs, and tensions are likely to increase in the run-up to local and general elections in Serbia on 6 May.

Malawi
Following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika on 5 April, former Vice-President Joyce Banda was sworn in as President of Malawi on 7 April. One of Mutharika’s fiercest critics, she publicly appealed for calm. However, Banda has already sacked controversial police chief Peter Mukhito, an ally of the late president, suggesting her rule will mark a welcome change for the country and end its international isolation.

Mali
Ousted President Toure formally resigned as part of an ECOWAS-sponsored deal to restore civilian order announced on 6 April. Under the deal, Diouncounda Traore, who is the president of the National Assembly, will be appointed as the interim president of Mali with a mission to organise elections within 40 days. Sanctions were lifted immediately, but instability is likely in the immediate run-up to the elections.

Nigeria
An Easter Sunday car bombing in Kaduna killed 38 people and injured many others. The vehicle exploded on a busy street in the centre of the town, and reports suggest that it was heading towards a church. In Jos, a bomb exploded the same day, injuring several people. No one has taken responsibility for the attacks yet, but Boko Haram warned of attacks over Easter.
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea's parliament voted on 5 April to delay mid-year national elections by six months, prolonging a political crisis in the resource-rich South Pacific nation and prompting Australia to ask for the decision to be reviewed. Parliament was told electoral rolls were not up-to-date and police not ready to provide enough security for the polls, which are held every five years and scheduled for June.

Yemen
At least 57 people were killed during clashes on 10 April, that were sparked when suspected Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)-linked Ansar al-Sharia militants attacked a military base near the southern city of Loder, in Abyan province. The group has been highly active in Abyan province since the beginning of the uprising in 2011, and have intensified operations since the election of Saleh's former deputy as interim leader.

____________________________________________
Source: AKEINTAKE, AKE