“May 13, 2011, was the ‘darkest’ day of my life. When Assistant Justice Minster Assem al-Gohary, for illicit gains affairs, brought an order to arrest me, I took an overdose of sleeping pills and wanted to commit suicide as I could not imagine what for and how to live,” Suzanne Thabit was quoted as saying by EGYnews. She said that she was miraculously saved. “And then, my husband got in touch with somebody who was in power in Egypt, I think somebody from world politicians and managed to keep me near him in hospital for the time of my detention,” Suzanne said. Mubarak’s lawyer Farid al-Dib managed to solve the issue of her arrest.

“It was exactly him who advised to write a waiver of all my property to Egyptian government. And then was May 17, and I was released without any charges,” the wife of the former president said. Suzanne Mubarak also revealed many incidents about the final days of Mubarak’s presidency. “USA, Saudi Arabia, United Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait offered husband and all family members political asylum at the beginning of February 2011. But when he resigned on February 11, these offers were immediately called off,” the former first lady said. She said it was her elder son, Alaa and not the younger Gamal who assisted his father in making the last fateful decisions.

“On February 1, during a telephone conversation with Barack Obama, my husband agreed to resign but said he did not want to make personal announcement. He also asked for written guarantees that nothing happen with him and his family. These guarantees were given by a special envoy from the US ,” Suzanne said. The memoirs of the former Egyptian first lady, which speaks about politics, personal experiences, love of jewellery and art, will soon be published by Scottish publisher Canongate Books. Mubarak stepped down Feb. 11 after 18 days of mass public protest, which left more than 800 people dead and several thousands wounded. He now faces charges of corruption, abuse of power and authorising the shooting of protesters during the uprising.

The Chancellor Abdul Moez Ibrahim, head of the Elections Supreme Committees asked eligible voters to participate effectively in the Advisory Council elections in order to effectuate their constitutional and legal rights, so that the result of the elections reflect the true expression of their will.

In a statement issued today, Abdul Moez said that the same spirit of cooperation and keenness by citizen to go to the polls, would prevail in the Advisory Council elections. The first preparatory round for the firsphase would be held on Feb. 7 while the second and final phase will be held on February 14 and15 with the second round to be conducted on round on February 22.

Meanwhile, Egyptians gathered at the Tahrir square to mark the completion of their revolution that begin a year ago leading to the ousted of President Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year-old regime.

To preempt massive protests planned, the Egyptian government and military ruler of the country, the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) took several measures including granting government jobs to all those got injured during the protests.

Egyptian Parliament, on the second day of its functioning also decided to form a fact-finding committee on the victims of the revolution and sending a mission to Tahrir Square on the anniversary to assure revolutionaries that revolution’s goals would be achieved.

The Chief of the SCAF, Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi announced the end of the state of emergency in a televised speech late Tuesday afternoon, few hours before the anniversary.

Egypt has been in the state of emergency since 1981 when Mubarak came to power.

Deputy defence minister Fawzi Abu Katif had told The Associated Press today that authorities still believe Gaddafi’s son Muatassim is among the ex-regime figures holed up in the diminishing area.

It is unclear whether Gaddafi loyalists who have escaped might continue the fight and attempt to organise an insurgency using the vast amount of weapons Gaddafi was believed to have stored in hideouts in the remote southern desert.

Unlike Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi had no well-organised political party that could form the basis of an insurgent leadership.

However, regional and ethnic differences have already appeared among the ranks of the revolutionaries, possibly laying the foundation for civil strife.

This is the biggest attack in Somalia’s capital since al-Shabab withdrew most of its forces in August amid an offensive by African Union forces. The group had been expected to fight back with guerrilla-style attacks, including car bombs. Several car bombs have been defused or exploded before reaching their targets in recent weeks.

Suicide bombings were unheard of in Somalia before 2007 but have become increasingly frequent. Al-Shabab claims allegiance to al-Qaida and often uses car bombs and appears bent on gaining a foothold in the Horn of Africa. Al-Shabab includes militant veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts who have trained Somalis in tactics like suicide bombs and sniper fire.

The group carried out a double suicide bombing in Uganda in July 2010 that killed 76 people watching the World Cup final on television. Americans of Somali heritage also have joined the group.

As stated by Tunisian authorities in media reports today, Mr Ben Ali and some of his family members are wanted in Tunisia on charges of alleged property theft and the illegal transfer of foreign currency.

The alert, known as an INTERPOL diffusion, contains the names and other data of wanted individuals. It was sent directly by NCB Tunis via INTERPOL’s I-24/7 secure police communications network to all other 187 member countries. Unlike INTERPOL’s Red Notices for internationally-wanted persons, which are issued at the request of member countries by INTERPOL’s General
Secretariat headquarters in Lyon, a diffusion is sent directly by an INTERPOL NCB without the involvement of the General Secretariat.

In its diffusion, NCB Tunis has requested INTERPOL member countries to search, locate and provisionally arrest Mr Ali and his relatives with a view to their extradition to Tunis. If and when the individuals are located, Tunisian authorities will forward any formal request for extradition via diplomatic channels.

INTERPOL does not send officials to carry out arrests; these are made by national law enforcement officials in line with their national laws.

The speaker of parliament, Fouad Mebazaa, has been sworn in as the interim president.

Even the opposition is with the idea of maintaining peace. Ahmed Ibrahim, the chief of opposition Ettajdid party, said “The main thing for us right now is to stop all this disorder. We are in agreement on several principles concerning the new government.” However, the opposition wants six to seven months to contest polls against the sixty days currently being proposed.

Reports are around of targeting of relatives of ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

Just across the border, Tunisia marked the first people’s revolution where an Arab leader was overthrown. Tunisian autocrat Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, 74, has the same sins which exists in Algeria, Libya, Egypt and Jordan. The Tunisian “Jasmine Revolution,” should server as a warning for Muammar Gaddafi. Gaddafi’s reaction is that the Tunisian’s should have waited 3 years more for Zine to step down.

On Zana News agency, Gaddafi has, as usual blamed Mossad and western intelligence agencies of fomenting trouble. This is the age old fear factor, the Arab autocrats have been feeding their masses. Will Gaddafi complete his next 24 months, remains to be seen.

The government also announced a monthly grant and social security coverage to all unemployed. They will be have to work nonprofit or as a volunteer while looking for jobs.

Amnesty International alleges that two demonstrators shot by police and another man who electrocuted himself by touching a 30,000-megawatt pole. It also alleged that 10 other protesters have been injured in clash with security forces. It also added that lawyers have been singled out for beatings and arrest after a nationwide sit-in on December 31.

Both the Government and Amnesty International are unreliable sources.

The Group’s mandate is to observe the preparations for the election, the polling, the counting and the results process, and the overall electoral environment. The team will be there to assess the conduct of the process as a whole and, where appropriate, make recommendations for the future strengthening of the electoral framework in Tanzania, including the process in Zanzibar.

The Group will act impartially and independently, and will conduct itself according to the standards expressed in the International Declaration of Principles for Election Observation, to which the Commonwealth is a signatory.

The Group’s report will be submitted to the Commonwealth Secretary-General, who will in turn send it to the Government of Tanzania as well as to the authorities in Zanzibar, the National Electoral Commission, the Zanzibar Electoral Commission and political parties, and eventually to all Commonwealth Governments.

The Commonwealth Observer Group is expected to comprise 15 experienced persons, including the Chair. The team will arrive in Tanzania on 24 October 2010, and stay until 7 November 2010.

ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo described the arrest of Mbarushimana as a “crucial step in efforts to prosecute the massive sexual crimes committed in the DRC” where over 15,000 cases of sexual violence were reported in 2009 alone. As late as August 2010, the FDLR was involved in the commission of more than 300 rapes in DRC’s North Kivu province, yet Callixte Mbarushimana blatantly continued to refute any allegation against his movement.

The arrest is the result of almost two years of investigations conducted by France, Germany, DRC, Rwanda and the ICC, into the activities of the FDLR .

Callixte Mbarushimana is the first senior leader arrested by the ICC for the massive crimes committed in the Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). He is charged with 11 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes including killings, rape, persecution based on gender and extensive destruction of property committed by the FDLR during most of 2009.

FDLR, a group calling itself a “liberation force” is the most recent incarnation of Rwandan rebel groups established by former génocidaires who fled to DRC after the 1994 Rwandan genocide. From the DRC, they regrouped, organized and launched attacks on Rwanda, with the goal of removing its new government through violence. Their activities contributed to triggering the two Congo wars, 1996-2002, which resulted in an estimated 4 million victims, the largest number of civilian casualties since the Second World War. Since then, the FDLR has continued to commit horrific crimes against the civilian population.

In 2009, the FDLR leadership decided to attack civilians in the North and South Kivu provinces in order to create a massive humanitarian catastrophe; the FDLR then tried to blackmail the international community and to extort concessions of political power, in exchange for ending the atrocities. As a result of this deadly blackmail, victims were killed, raped, and forcibly displaced, and entire villages were razed to the ground.

“After 16 years of continuous violence, this could be an opportunity to finally demobilize the group led by the former génocidaires” added the Prosecutor. “Their leaders are gone.”

“This is a good day for the victims. This is a good day for justice. But there is still a lot to do to break the cycle of impunity in the DRC. Callixte Mbarushimana is in custody. But another commander sought by the ICC for massive crimes, Bosco Ntaganda, is still at large in Goma and his forces roam the Kivus killing and raping. He must be next”.