MARCH 2007

Iraq

According to the Interior Ministry 1872 civilians were killed this month (CNN.com).

Democratic Republic of Congo

Around the middle of the month, in Kinshasa, there were battles between government forces and hundreds of fighters loyal to Jean-Pierre Bemba when they resisted an order to disarm under a plan to cut his security detail to 12 police. The government forces quickly gained the upper hand and many of Bemba's fighters surrendered. The government charged Bemba with high treason for starting the uprising; Bemba fled to the South African embassy (Reuters).

2-4 MARCH 2007

Denmark

There was some rioting by small groups in Copenhagen (AP).

3 MARCH 2007

Russia

In St. Petersburg, police broke up a small protest against President Vladimir Putin (AP).

6 MARCH 2007

Afghanistan

NATO announced 'Operation Achilles', an anti-Taliban operation in northern Helmand province involving 4,500 NATO troops and nearly 1,000 Afghan troops (CNN.com).

Iraq

Two suicide bombers attacked Shiite pilgrims in Hilla, killing 114 and wounding 147. In Baghdad, there was a series of attacks on Shiite pilgrims that killed over 20 (CNN.com).

Somalia

Uganda's 1,500 peacekeeping troops began to arrive Mogadishu's airport (AP).

7 MARCH 2007

Iraq

At least 30 people were killed by a suicide bomber in Balad Ruz (CNN.com).

9 MARCH 2007

Europe, diplomatic affairs

Leaders of EU members met in Brussels and agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020 (AP).

10 MARCH 2007

Iraq

A suicide car bomb in Baghdad killed 20 people (CNN.com).

11 MARCH 2007

Iraq

In Baghdad, a car bomb attack on Shiite pilgrims killed at least 31. A suicide bomber killed at least 10 others near Sadr City (CNN.com).

Zimbabwe

Police arrested and briefly detained Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader Morgan Tsvangirai and other opposition leaders. Colleagues later said they had been beaten (Reuters, AP).

13 MARCH 2007

Somalia

In Mogadishu, rebels attacked the presidential palace and Ethiopian troops on the same day that President Abdullahi Yusuf moved to the capital from Baidoa (AP).

14 MARCH 2007

Iraq

A bombing in Tuz Khurmatu killed four people (CNN.com).

14-16 MARCH 2007

India

Clashes between police and farmers in West Bengal state on the 14th were followed by small but violent protests across the state on the 16th (AP).

15 MARCH 2007

Hungary

Around 1,000 skinheads and other violent protesters clashed with police in Budapest (AP).

16 MARCH 2007

Pakistan, civil affairs

In a police crackdown connected with legal proceedings against Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, around 20 members of parliament were arrested and opposition leader Qazi Hussain Ahmad was placed under house arrest (CNN.com).

17 MARCH 2007

Israel, West Bank and Gaza Strip

The Palestinian Authority (PA) parliament voted to form a Hamas-Fatah unity government. PA president Mahmoud Abbas said, "We reject all sorts of violence and we look for an agreement, a solution that is based on negotiations." But Israel said it would not deal with the new government since Hamas had not recognized Israel's right to exist, renounced terrorism and agreed to abide by past Israel-PA agreements (CNN.com).

Europe

In Madrid, Spain, about 20,000 demonstrated against the US presence in Iraq. More than 6,000 demonstrated in Istanbul, Turkey; there were also small demonstrations in Athens, Greece and Copenhagen, Denmark (AP).

United States

There was a small anti-war rally in Washington (AP).

18 MARCH 2007

Finland, politics

Parliamentary elections were held. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen's Centre Party won 51 of 200 seats, the National Coalition Party won 50 and the Social Democratic Party won 45; turnout was 67.8% (www.rulers.org, Reuters).

Iraq

In Baghdad, a car bomb in the northeastern Shaab neighborhood killed at least six people.

19 MARCH 2007

Iraq

Several bomb attacks in Kirkuk killed at least 10 people. In Baghdad, a bomb attack on a Shiite mosque killed six (CNN.com).

19-22 MARCH 2007

Asia and the Pacific, diplomatic affairs

Another round of talks between China, Japan, North Korea, Russia, South Korea and the U.S. on North Korea's nuclear weapons program was held in Beijing but was called off on the 22nd. This was due to North Korea's refusal to participate over a snag in implementation of the part of the 13 February agreement concerning frozen North Korean assets (AP).

20 MARCH 2007

Iraq

Two car bombs in Baghdad killed seven (CNN.com).

21 MARCH 2007

Pakistan

There were small, mostly peaceful protests in support of Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar and Quetta (CNN.com).

Iran, foreign policy

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, referring to the conflict with the U.N. over Iran's nuclear program, said, "Until today, what we have done has been in accordance with international regulations. But if they take illegal actions, we too can take illegal actions and will do so....The Iranian nation needs nuclear energy for life, not weapons" (AP).

23 MARCH- 5 APRIL 2007

Diplomatic affairs

On the 23rd, a small British naval detachment consisting of 15 marines and sailors was seized by the Iranian navy in the area where the Shatt al-Arab waterway enters the Persian Gulf. The Iranians claimed the British had crossed into their territorial waters; the British government disputed this and demanded immediate release of the personnel (CNN.com).

On the 30th EU foreign ministers met and released a statement saying that "all evidence clearly indicates that at the time of the seizure, the British naval personnel were on a routine patrolling mission in Iraqi waters..." and that the seizure "therefore constitutes a clear breach of international law." It called for the release of the personnel or the EU "will decide on appropriate measures" (AP).

On 5 April Iran released the British personnel (CNN.com).

24 MARCH 2007

Diplomatic affairs, Iran

The UN Security Council unanimously approved additional sanctions against Iran for continuing its uranium enrichment efforts. The resolution initiated an embargo against Iranian weapons exports, barred nations and international banks from making new loans to Iran and froze the assets of 28 additional individuals and groups involved in Iran's nuclear and missile programs (CNN.com).

Iraq

A suicide bomber in Tal Afar killed at least 10 people (CNN.com).

26 MARCH 2007

Diplomatic affairs

Chinese President Hu Jintao met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Afterward they said Iran should comply with U.N. demands over its nuclear program and that the dispute should be resolved “exclusively through peaceful means.” Regarding China-Russia relations, Hu said, "The strengthening of the strategic cooperation between Russia and China ... is very important from the point of view of a multi-polar world and the democratization of the international relations." Putin said, "We intend to extend our partnerships in all areas....The development of trade and economic relations remains the priority" (AP).

Britain, Northern Ireland

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley and Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams met in Belfast and agreed to form a power-sharing government on 8 May (CNN.com).

27-28 MARCH 2007

Iraq

Two truck bombs killed 152 people in Tal Afar, according to the Interior Ministry. This was followed by what appeared to be reprisal killings by Shiites of 70 people late that day and the next morning. On the 30th 18 police officers were arrested in Ninevah province in connection with the reprisals.

A suicide bombing in Ramadi killed 10 (CNN.com).

28 MARCH 2007

Saudi Arabia, foreign policy

In a speech to a regional summit, King Abdullah characterized the presence of U.S. military forces in Iraq as “an illegitimate foreign occupation” (AP).

29 MARCH 2007

Iraq

A suicide bomber killed at least 76 people in Baghdad's Shaab district.

Three car bomb attacks in Khalis killed 43 people.

A car bomb killed five people in Mahmoudiya (CNN.com).

Sub-Saharan Africa, diplomatic affairs

There was an emergency summit of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, on the situation in Zimbabwe. A joint communique issued following the meeting called for, among other things, international sanctions against Zimbabwe to be lifted (CNN.com).

30 MARCH 2007

Chile

There was rioting by hundreds of high school students in Santiago and other cities (AP).

31 MARCH 2007

Iraq

A car bomb killed five people in the Sadr City area of Baghdad. Another car bomb in Hilla killed four (CNN.com).

31 MARCH-2 APRIL 2007

Ukraine

In Kiev about 70,000 people rallied for President Viktor Yushchenko to dissolve parliament on the grounds that, among other things, the defection of some lawmakers from Yushchenko's party to Primer Minister Viktor Yanukovych's coalition earlier in the month violated the law and the constitution. About 20,000 Yanukovych supporters held a counter-demonstration nearby.

On 2 April Yushchenko dissolved parliament and called early elections; parliament disregarded the order and continued to meet. The dispute went to the Constitutional Court; both sides said they would respect its decision. (AP)