The Arab Spring, which began in late 2010, was a moment of hope for many people in West Asia and North Africa. It symbolized a powerful call for change in a region long dominated by autocratic rulers who denied basic freedoms and rights. What started as a grassroots movement for Democracy and justice soon showed how complex and challenging it is to transform political systems.
The movement that started in Tunisia a decade back can be considered at an end this month when the rebels finally materialized in Syria over the weekend. In a lightning offensive launched this month, the rebel forces led by a terror outfit named Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) overthrew 24 years of Assad regime in Syria.
The spark for the Arab Spring came from Tunisia. Mohamed Bouazizi, a street vendor, set himself on fire to stage protest against corruption and government oppression. This tragic act of self-immolation ignited protests across the country, leading to the removal of Tunisia’s long-time president. The events in Tunisia galvanised people in other countries like Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and Syria to protest against their governments, demanding freedom, Democracy, and better living conditions.
With Assad’s ouster, Assad has become the latest head of the state in West Asia and North Africa to be overthrown since the Arab Spring began in 2010. Before him, Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak, and Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi met similar fates. The fall of these leaders led to either new autocrats, such as in Egypt, or plunged these nations into years of political instability and conflict, such as in Libya and Yemen.
The other part of the Arab Spring is that it brought chaos and violence, giving rise to extremist ideologies and terrorism in West Asia, which has long repercussions on society. It also brought global and regional players to indulge more militarily and prolonged the conflict. For example, Syria, Yemen and somehow Egypt.
The Challenges of Building Democracy
As we all know, destroying something is very easy, but building a new one is tough. The same is true for Arab Spring. Removing a dictator turned out to be the easy part. Building a stable and democratic system afterwards proved far more difficult. Each country experienced its own unique challenges:
Tunisia initially showed promise. After overthrowing its dictator, the country held free elections in 2014 and wrote a new constitution the same year. Many saw it as a success story. Unfortunately, the dream didn’t last. Over time, President Kais Saied consolidated power, undermining democratic progress, and reverted to autocratic ways soon after his election. He sacked the government in 2021 and suspended the parliament. He reigned by decree until 2022 when he overturned a new constitution through a vote in which only 30% of the population participated. The new referendum increased the president’s powers significantly.
Since taking power, Saied has imprisoned several major politicians, and the democratic norms that the Arab Spring wanted are still lacking in spirit, if not in letter. This is how the spirit of revolution was killed in 10 years.
Egypt was another dramatic case. After ousting President Hosni Mubarak, who had ruled Egypt since 1981, was forced to quit after a massive protest at Freedom Square in Cairo. Then, the country elected Mohamed Morsi, a member of the dreaded outfit Muslim Brotherhood, in its first free elections in 2012. But his government was short-lived. The military, led by Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, staged a coup and took control, bringing back a repressive regime that was even stricter than Mubarak’s.
Libya faced one of the worst outcomes. It is considered that the demonstrations and protests were ignited by global powers such as the US. In February 2011, anti-government rallies against Muammar al-Gaddafi’s four-decade-long leadership devolved into a civil war that resulted in his deposition and death. As government forces pounded demonstrators on Gaddafi’s instructions for weeks, even the military’s support for the regime dwindled. The Transitional National Council (TNC), an opposition body, was formed. As Gaddafi’s forces continued to kill demonstrators, the UN authorized military action, and as a result, the US, British, and French soldiers bombed Libyan forces, crippling much of Gaddafi’s air force.
Once, Libya’s economy was leading in the African continent. The per-capita income was the highest, and the economy was growing at a wonderful pace. After the violent overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi, the country descended into chaos. Various groups fought for control, turning Libya into a fractured state with ongoing violence and instability. International interventions, while aimed at helping, only made things worse.
Yemen saw similar turmoil. The removal of President Ali Abdullah Saleh didn’t lead to peace. Instead, the country plunged into a brutal civil war involving regional and international powers. A confrontation between Iran-backed Houthis and the internationally recognized government, which is supported by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. According to the United Nations, the conflict in Yemen has resulted in the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
Today, Yemen suffers one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, with millions of people facing starvation and displacement. According to the UN, by 2023, the war has displaced around 4.5 million people in Yemen, with approximately 24.1 million, or roughly 80% of the population, in need of humanitarian aid.
Syria experienced the most prolonged and devastating conflict. Protests against President Bashar al-Assad were met with brutal violence, sparking a civil war that lasted over a decade. In the early years of the war, Assad’s regime lost control of more than half of the country, but Russian military intervention in 2015 reversed the tide. With the support of Russia, Iran, and Iran-backed terror outfits, notably Hezbollah, Assad’s army used brutal force to retake control of the majority of the country.
The war became a complex mess involving global powers and regional actors, while terrorist groups like ISIS added to the destruction. Millions of Syrians were killed, displaced, or left to live in unimaginable hardship.
The civil unrest in Syria was being considered as Frozen; different forces were ruling the different parts of the country. However, the geopolitical change in West Asia following the Israel and Hamas war. The terror outfit HTS received possible support from the US and its allies and suddenly brought Syrian forces to their knees, which resulted in the end of a long conflict in Syria.
As a result, the Israel Defence Forces have taken advantage of the situation and captured Syrian land, destroying the military and naval capabilities of Syria in the name of creating a buffer zone.
Lessons from the Arab Spring
The Arab Spring taught us some hard lessons about political change:
Removing a dictator is not enough. True Democracy requires strong institutions, political unity, and a culture of compromise. Without these, revolutions often lead to more chaos or a return to autocracy. Without a democratic political culture in society, democratic institutions can not function, and if democratic institutions are not functioning, then Democracy will not flourish.
Entrenched power structures are hard to dismantle. In many countries, the military and other elites quickly regained control, reversing the gains of the uprisings.
International involvement often complicates things. Foreign powers intervened in places like Libya and Syria, but their actions were often driven by their own interests rather than a genuine desire to help the native people.
The people’s desire for change remains strong. Despite the setbacks, the Arab Spring showed the power of ordinary citizens to challenge even the most repressive regimes. The hope for dignity, rights, and justice has not disappeared. However, the different ethnic and sectarian forces fooled people of being their Massiah, but the truth is that they want power in their hands.
The Tragedy and the Hope
The greatest tragedy of the Arab Spring is the disillusionment it caused. Many people who believed in the possibility of change saw their hopes crushed by new dictatorships or ongoing violence. This has left many skeptical about whether peaceful change is even possible.
The story of the Arab Spring highlights the challenges of building Democracy in societies with deep-rooted authoritarian traditions and complex social dynamics. Real change takes time, patience, and effort. The outcomes of the Arab Spring have been disappointing to say the least.
