On Tuesday March 27 at 19:30 GMT:
In this episode of The Stream we look at the latest developments in three countries.
Yemen’s prospects for peace
The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, says things are in flux.in the right directionin an eight-year war that has left millions of people facing life-threatening hunger after the country’s internationally recognized government and Houthi opposition leaders each agreed to release hundreds of prisoners.
The prisoner exchange agreement announced on March 20 follows a bilateral agreement between Saudi Arabia, which leads a military coalition for the government, and Iran, which supports the Houthis.
But Yemenis suffering from what UN agencies call one of the the world’s worst humanitarian crises are cautious about the prospects for lasting peace, despite the Saudi-Iranian rapprochement. While the UN hopes to broker a new ceasefire agreement that has largely held since it expired in October, the outbreak of deadly fighting in the oil-rich province of Marib on March 21 has undermined diplomatic efforts.
We will look at what the prisoner exchange and the Saudi-Iranian deal mean for the future course of the war in Yemen.
Protests in Kenya
Hundreds of people in Kenya have joined demonstrations about the rising cost of essential food and fuel, during the first major outbreak of anti-government discord since President William Ruto took office.
Police fired tear gas at protesters gathered in Nairobi on March 27 in response to a call from opposition leader Raila Odinga. At least a person was killed in Kisumu. A week earlier, police killed a student and arrested more than 200 protesters as they tried to suppress protests in the capital and other cities and towns. Those arrested included legislators from Odinga’s One Kenya Coalition Party.
Kenya’s Vice President Riagthi Gachagua has pleaded with protesters to “end the chaos and mayhem”. But Odinga, who lost the August presidential election to Ruto, is encourage supporters to join further protests in the coming days.
We will look at what is behind the demonstrations and ask what lies ahead.
The uncertain future of Peru
Peru recently saw weeks of anti-government protests in the capital Lima and regional cities that made international headlines. But a lingering discontent over unresolved political issues remains.
Thousands of people took part in demonstrations that began in December when then-President Pedro Castillo was removed from office by Congress and subsequently arrested on charges of rebellion and conspiracy. After police and soldiers killed dozens of protesters supporting Castillo, protesters urged acting president Dina Boluarte to resign.
Boluarte has so far endured calls to resign, but there is resentment among marginalized Peruvians who want fresh elections and constitutional reform — proposals voted down by Congress. Peru has had seven presidents since July 2016.
We’ll examine the mood in Peru in the immediate aftermath of the biggest protests in years and ask what might be happening just around the corner.
In this episode of The Stream we are joined by:
Afrah Nasser, @Afrahnasser
Nonresident Fellow, Arab Center Washington DC
arabcenterdc.org/team/afrah-nasser
Patrick Gathara, @gathara
Journalist and political commentator
gathara.blogspot.com
Mariana Sanchez, @marsanaiz
Correspondent, Al Jazeera
