APRIL 2006

Afghanistan

Operation Mountain Lion, an anti-Taliban effort involving 2,500 US and Afghan troops, was launched in eastern Kunar province (AP).

Pakistan

Muhsin Musa Matwalli Atwah was killed by a Pakistani airstrike near the Afghan border. Atwah was believed to have been involved in the 1998 US embassy bombings and to have been an al Qaeda operative since 1990 (CNN.com).

2-4 APRIL 2006

Thailand, politics

Early parliamentary elections were held on the 2nd; they had been called by Prime Minister Thaskin in response to opposition demands that he resign over perceptions of corruption and abuse of power. Thaskin had promised that he would resign if his party received less than 50% of the vote. Three opposition parties had boycotted the vote; they did not field any candidates and urged voters to tick the 'no vote' box on their ballots. In the event, the 'no votes' took a significant percentage of the vote, particularly in urban areas. Also, many seats were uncontested and had to remain empty, lacking a minimum number of votes, effectively preventing a new government from being formed.

On the 4th, Thaskin, after meeting with King Bhumibol Adulyadej, announced he was taking "a break" from politics and handed his duties over to Deputy Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya (Reuters, CNN.com).

3 APRIL 2006

Iraq

A car bomb attack in eastern Baghdad killed ten people (CNN.com).

4 APRIL 2006

Iraq

One car bomb killed ten people in Baghdad; another killed two in Samarra (CNN.com).

4-5 APRIL 2006

France

On the 4th over a million people demonstrated across the country against the CPE. Some demonstrations continued the next day (CNN.com).

5 APRIL 2006

Iraq

A car bomb in eastern Baghdad killed three people (CNN.com).

6 APRIL 2006

Northern Ireland

British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern met in Armagh to discuss the peace process. Afterward they announced that the Belfast assembly, suspended in October 2002, would be recalled on 15 May. It would be given six weeks to form a decision-making executive which would then have until 24 November to form a power-sharing government (CNN.com).

Iraq

A car bomb attack near the Imam Ali shrine in Najaf killed ten people (CNN.com).

6-24 APRIL 2006

Nepal

On the 6th a pro-democracy campaign called by the country's major political parties and supported by the Maoist rebels began. It included daily protests and a general strike. The demonstrations were sometimes violent and characterized by clashes with police, particularly on 9-11 April and 16-19 April, by which time a shoot-on-sight curfew was in effect in Kathmandu. The general strike caused a shortage of fresh food and fuel in Kathmandu and other cities.

On the 19th King Gyanendra ordered the release of opposition politicians Madhav Kumar Nepal and Ram Chandra Poudel. On the 21st, the King, in a speech on state television and radio, said “Executive power...shall, from this day, be returned to the people” and called on political parties to quickly name a prime minister. Minendra Risal of the Nepali Congress Democratic party said the King did not meet the opposition's demand for the return of parliament and creation of a special assembly to write a constitution.

On the 24th, Gyanendra announced he would reinstate parliament. Afterward, hundreds of thousands of people celebrated on the streets of Kathmandu (AP, CNN.com, Reuters).

7 APRIL 2006

Iraq

Three suicide bombers attacked the Buratha Mosque, a Shiite-affiliated mosque in northern Baghdad, following Friday noon prayers. About 80 people were killed and 140 were wounded (CNN.com).

Israel, Gaza Strip

An Israeli airstrike near Rafah killed Iyyad Abu al-Ennan, a senior commander with the Salaheddin Brigades (CNN.com).

9 APRIL 2006

Peru, politics

Elections were held. In the first round of the presidential election, Ollanta Humala won 30.6% of the vote, Alan Garcia of the Peruvian Aprista Party (PAP) won 24.3% and Lourdes Flores of the National Unity (UN) coalition won 23.8%. Turnout was 88.7%; a runoff between Humala and Garcia was scheduled for 4 June. In the elections for the 120-seat Congress of the Republic, Union for Peru won 45 seats, up from the six it won in April 2001, and the PAP won 36 (www.rulers.org, IFES).

Chad

Rebel forces raided Mongo, according to the government (AP).

9-23 APRIL 2006

Hungary, politics

The first round of parliamentary elections was held on the 9th and the second on the 23rd. The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSzP) won 190 of 386 seats, up from the 178 it won in the April 2002 elections. The alliance of the Hungarian Civic Union (FIDESZ) and the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) won 164 seats. The Socialists' ruling coalition partner, the Alliance of Free Democrats (SzDSz), won 20, and the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) won 11, down from 24. Turnout was 67.8% (www.rulers.org, IFES).

9 APRIL-10 MAY 2006

Italy, politics

General elections were held on 9-10 April. In the Chamber of Deputies, Romano Prodi's Union coalition won 49.8% of the vote and 348 of the 630 seats. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's House of Liberties coalition won 49.7% of the vote and 281 seats. In the Senate, the Union won 49% of the vote and 158 of 315 elective seats, while the House of Liberties won 50.2% and 156. Turnout was around 84%. Berlusconi challenged the results; on 19 April Italy's highest court confirmed Prodi's victory. On 2 May Berlusconi resigned. On 10 May Parliament elected Giorgio Napolitano as the new President, replacing Azeglio Ciampi (www.rulers.org; CNN.com).

10 APRIL 2006

Europe, diplomatic affairs

The EU banned 31 officials of the Belarus government, including President Alexander Lukashenko, from entering the bloc, saying the sanctions were in response to the rigging of the 19 March presidential election and a crackdown on the political opposition (Reuters).

United States

There were demonstrations across the country in support of illegal immigrants. Organizers claimed the one in Washington, D.C. was attended by 500,000 and the one in Phoenix, Arizona by 200,000 (CNN.com).

11 APRIL 2006

Pakistan

An attack by what appeared to be two suicide bombers on a gathering in Karachi of the Sunni Muslim religious group Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat killed at least 57 people. Afterward there was some rioting in the city by Jamaat-e-Ahle Sunnat supporters (Reuters, AP).

12 APRIL 2006

Pakistan

Mohsin Musa Matawalli Atwah, an Egyptian al Qaeda suspect wanted by the US for his alleged role in the 1998 bombings of US embassies in East Africa, and several other militants were killed in a raid by security forces in North Waziristan (AP).

13 APRIL 2006

Chad

A rebel raid on N'Djamena was repulsed by government forces (AP).

Iraq

A car bomb attack just north of Baghdad killed 15 people (CNN.com).

14 APRIL 2006

Sub-Saharan Africa, diplomatic affairs

Chad broke off diplomatic relations with Sudan (AP).

Iraq

Two bomb attacks on Sunni mosques in Baquba killed four people (CNN.com).

15-17 APRIL 2006

Egypt

There was some violence between Muslims and Coptic Christians in Alexandria (AP).

16 APRIL 2006

Iraq

A bomb blast in southeast Baghdad killed four people (CNN.com).

17 APRIL 2006

Israel

A suicide bombing in Tel Aviv killed 11 people. Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility (CNN.com).

17-18 APRIL 2006

Iraq

There were clashes in Baghdad between government forces and what appeared to be local militia in the Azamiyah district, a predominately Sunni area.

Also, on the 18th, a bomb in eastern Baghdad killed eight people (CNN.com).

18-21 APRIL 2006

Diplomatic affairs

Chinese President Hu Jintao visited the US. On the 20th he met with President Bush (CNN.com).

18 APRIL-4 MAY 2006

Solomon Islands

On the 18th parliament selected Snyder Rini to be Prime Minister. That day and the next there were riots in Honiara, mostly against Chinese businesses. On the 19th a small contingent of Australian troops arrived to reinforce the international peacekeepers already deployed there.

On the 26th Rini resigned. On the 4th parliament selected Manasseh Sogavare as the new Prime Minister (AP, Reuters).

21 APRIL 2006

Iraq

A car bomb killed six people in Tal Afar (AP).

22 APRIL 2006

Israel, Gaza Strip

There were violent protests by Fatah supporters angry over comments made by Hamas critical of Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas. Supporters of the two parties traded gunfire and hurled stones and firebombs (AP).

24 APRIL 2006

Egypt

Three terror bomb attacks in Dahab, near Sharm el-Sheikh, killed 19 people (CNN.com).

25 APRIL 2006

Sri Lanka

Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka was seriously wounded in Colombo when his convoy was attacked by a suicide bomber (CNN.com).

Guyana

Unidentified gunmen assassinated agriculture minister Satyadeo Sawh (AP).

26-27 APRIL 2006

Belarus

There was a demonstration in Minsk of about 7,000 people against President Alexander Lukashenko. The next day opposition politician Alexander Milinkevich was arrested, having been sentenced to serve a 15-day prison term. Two other opposition figures were similarly detained (Reuters).

27 APRIL 2006

Nepal

A three-month ceasefire on the part of the Maoist rebels began (Reuters).

29 APRIL 2006

United States

Tens of thousands demonstrated in New York for the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq (AP).