Deadly Middle East Protests Spread to Oman

Angry protesters took to the streets in the Omani city of Sohar, where at least one person was killed during three days of demonstrations in the oil-rich sultanate of 2.9 million people located on the eastern tip of the Arabian peninsula. Oman had been mostly unaffected by the wave of uprisings that has swept the region in the last two months. But many Omanis want political reform; the country has been ruled by the same family since 1744 and by the same leader, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, since he seized power from his father in a 1970 coup. Oman is the oldest independent state in the Arab world.

The BBC reports that hundreds of protesters have blocked roads in Sohar, the country’s second-largest port, with others holding a vigil at a roundabout. Some of the protesters have resorted to violence and looting; state property has been damaged and a supermarket has been set on fire.

Sultan Qaboos bin Said responded to the protests by promising to create more jobs and a new ministerial committee to consider giving more power to the elective consultative council. That body is elected by Omanis but has no real power; as its name suggests it is a purely advisory council.

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