CIAO DATE: 01/2013
January 2013
Norwegian Peacebuilding Resource Centre
Bahrain is officially a constitutional monarchy, but in practice power rests with the ruler and key members of the Al Khalifa royal family. Bahrain was formerly praised by the West as a model reformer, but since mid-2010 the reform process has largely stalled. A mass uprising in early 2011, which called for a genuine constitutional monarchy and the removal of the prime minister, was followed by a protracted crackdown. The government portrayed the largely Shia protesters as Iranian agents and has had some success in alienating the Sunni community from their cause, but at the cost of entrenching virulent sectarian prejudice in a small and densely populated country, creating various conflict risks. Violent skirmishes between protesters and police are a daily occurrence. An inquiry in late 2011 was followed by announcements of human rights and security sector reform, but implementation is inadequate and the political root causes of the protests are not being addressed. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain’s much larger neighbour, is a vital source of security and economic support for the Al Khalifa, reducing their need to rely on the support of their own population. It will need to be engaged in any solution; the other Gulf countries could also have a useful role to play in mediation, in the context of the Gulf Co-operation Council’s efforts to enhance its integration as a bloc and become a more effective foreign policy player.
Resource link: Bahrain: an overview [PDF]