Stories about Middle East & North Africa from March, 2022
Tensions mount in Karabakh as parties exchange blame
The Azerbaijani army's seizure of a strategic village of Farrukh has led to accusations of a ceasefire violation leveled against Azerbaijan by both official Yerevan and Moscow.
Undertones: Populist discourses against the ‘elite’ and the ‘poor’ in Turkey
Turkey’s doctors and refugees have an unlikely commonality -- they are the target of far-right and populist narratives.
Syria's dire economy and years of fighting send young ‘mercenaries’ to fight in Ukraine
Syrian mercenaries, having fought in Libya and the Nagorno-Karabakh region, are now making their way to Ukraine, driven by extreme poverty, and political rapprochement between the two regimes.
Pandemic tech and digital rights in Morocco
While data-driven technologies can add great value, they carry very significant risks for human dignity, autonomy and privacy and the exercise of human rights in general if not managed appropriately.
What does Russia’s history of urban warfare in Aleppo and Grozny mean for Ukraine?
By weaponize refugees and using illegal munitions, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will continue to exacerbate one of the worst humanitarian crises in Europe since World War II.
Turkey and Armenia inch closer to mending ties
The meeting was the first sit-down meeting between each country's foreign minister since 2009 and is part of mutual efforts to establish diplomatic ties which were severed in the early 1990s.
Russians against war are fleeing state crackdowns
They were concerned about their futures, closed borders, and their livelihoods, but mostly for the friends and family they left behind. The fear of persecution still looms.
Has Turkey dodged its sunflower oil crisis?
In recent months, Turkey has been rocked by a handful of crises - financial, political, environmental, diplomatic but now it is grappling with a new one - the sunflower oil shortage.
In Turkey, health workers mark Doctor's Day by going on strike
To mark the holiday, health workers across the country said they would be on a two-day strike starting March 14 despite earlier warnings from the Ministry of Health against the protests.
The hijab on Algerian TV: An end to all things French
The move is praised by many Algerians as more reflective of nation's Islamic identity. Experts also say the decision restores hope among young veiled Algerian media students of claiming spots on screen.
New regulations in Turkey sacrifice olive groves for mining operations
The regulations have sparked a backlash, with lawsuits filed to overrule a decision civil society believes will do long-term damage to olive groves and natural protected areas.
Women across Turkey demonstrate in annual night march
Despite government attempts to prevent demonstrations from marking International Women's Day, women across Turkey took to the streets demanding equal rights, equal pay, and better protection against gender-based violence.
Do we live in a news bubble of our own making?
We are able to follow news in multiple languages and make conclusions, choose what we share and what we label as misinformation.
Ukraine's war unleashes flood of racism by media and politicians against Arab war victims
Comments on skin color, attire, class and lifestyle were seen as several media reporters and politicians explained why war on Ukraine was horrifying, compared to Syria, Iraq and elsewhere.
Well known Iranian blogger Hossein Ronaghi goes on hunger strike after his abduction by authorities
Security forces took the blogger away in a raid, without informing his family of charges or his whereabouts. He later appeared in the notorious Evin prison where he was held in 2010.
Turkey is cautious in Ukraine-Russia war
Ukraine called on Turkey to close its straits to Russian warships, as Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24.
About our Middle East & North Africa coverage
Mariam Abuadas is the editor for the Middle East & North Africa. Email her story ideas or volunteer to write.
