Background Information
The recent uprisings in the Middle East and the Maghreb have taken different dimensions. All these uprisings which were inspired by the Tunisian revolution have spread over to Egypt, Libya, Syria and Bahrain.
And just what began as simple uprising in quest for political rights and freedoms has led to the massive loss of lives in Syria, Bahrain and both the loss of lives destruction of property in countries like Libya. The Libya situation has taken a different dimension which threatens to put the stable country into anarchic situation.
States in the Middle East and the Maghreb occupy a geostrategic position in the global politics. Increased industrial revolution in Europe and the discovery of oil in the Middle East are the two main phenomenons that have increased the influence of these countries on the world politics.
The wealth and resources of the region have made it a safe haven and breeding ground for dictators who are interested in looting as opposed to social welfare of the people.
Bahrain is considered more strategic by the foreign powers. This has been evidenced by the availability of the USA’s fifth fleet and the United States naval support which places it in an important position. Bahrain has enjoyed long period of stability and this has made it a favorable financial hub.
Relationship between Bahrain and UAE
The strong ties between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is majorly because of the presence Sunni community of Muslim who are present in both countries though they are a majority in united Arab emirates and a minority in Bahrain.
The relationship between Bahrain and the United Arab emirates during this moment of Arab protests and crisis has been driven by two fundamental principles which guide the foreign policy of UAE.
First is that UAE is a member in good standing of the gulf cooperation council (GCC) and which Bahrain is also a member as evidenced the words of Anwar Mohammed Gergash, the foreign affairs minister of UAE who said “UAE’s decision represents a lively embodiment of its commitment to brothers in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC),”(Ministry of National Defense 1); and two, it believes in the peaceful settlement of issues.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) charter includes cooperation in all spheres from political, economy to military (GCC 1). The UAE’s foreign policy which provides for peaceful settlement of disputes and the principle of non interference (Government-Political System 1) also drives the conduct of UAE in the Bahrain crisis.
It is worth mentioning that the above two principles especially Bahrain’s membership to the GCC is considered critical and exceptional in the sense that as opposed to the other crises in the middle east, Bahrain is the only member of GCC.
This factor influenced not only the approach of UAE but also for other member states like Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait towards Bahrain. This is different as compared to the reaction of the same states towards other countries facing similar problems as Bahrain. An example is Qatar’s approach to Libyan crisis where it advocated for military intervention.
Notwithstanding the above argument, the overriding factor that governed the relationship between Bahrain and UAE and which has guided the approach of UAE towards the Bahrain revolution is the Sunni Muslim factor.
The uprising in Bahrain which began in February was aimed at achieving political freedom, civil liberties and democratic governance. It was considered a wake up call to the minority Sunni who had trampled upon the rights of majority Shia population.
The Shias were angered by the actions of the monarchy to import more Sunnis in efforts to increase their population. Since the Sunni are the majority in UAE, their interest in the crisis was more centered on the protection of their minority brothers.
The first response of the UAE was to send troops to Bahrain to maintain order and security (Eurasia Review 1). These forces together with the Bahrain forces have managed to suppress and crack down the opposition.
Besides the Sunni factor which unites both countries, the relationship between the two countries is also guided by the principle of complementarities. This is to say that both UAE and the Bahrain share a lot of geographic and demographic problems.
These include; they both have sheikhdoms, they lack adequate defense mechanisms and their vulnerability to the attack by Iraq and Iran makes them united in times of adversities (Cordesman 1).
Conclusion
In international relations, foreign policy and national interest are considered important instruments in global politics. The extremely different and radical approach taken by UAE in the Bahrain revolution as juxtaposed to the latent approach to the similar revolution in other Arab countries is a clear demonstration that relations among different states are merely driven by national interest.
This is also exemplified by the response of America, Britain and France to the Arab crisis. Whereas they have adopted military approach to Libyan crisis and economic sanctions in Syria, they have displayed reluctance to act in Bahrain and Egypt. US president Barrack Obama and secretary of state Hillary Clinton just issued plain warnings (BBC 1).
Works Cited
BBC. Bahrain crackdown on protests in Manama’s Pearl Square. BBC, 2011. Web.
Cordesman, Alan. Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE: challenges of security. New York: West view Press, 1997. Print.
Eurasia Review. UAE Sends Troops to Bahrain, Joining GCC Forces. Eurasia, 2011. Web.
GCC. Article 4-Gulf cooperation council. GCC, 1981. Web.
Government-Political Systems. Government Political foreign policy. UAE Interact, 2011. Web.
Ministry of National Defense. Defense news: ministry of defense, People’s Republic of china. International Military, 2011. Web.