Anti-regime demos held in north Bahrain

Bahrainis have once again staged demonstrations against the ruling Al Khalifa regime in a number of villages. On Wednesday, demonstrators took to the streets of the northeastern island of Sitra, the northwestern village of Diraz and the northern village of Nuwaidrat, chanting slogans against the Manama regime. The protesters expressed determination to continue the uprising despite the crackdown by security forces. The recent demonstrations were held ahead of national talks that are scheduled to commence on February 10. Protest gatherings in Bahrain are planned to be held every day until February 14, which is the second anniversary of the uprising. On Wednesday, Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, which is the major opposition bloc in Bahrain, called for the establishment of a transitional government, which represents different national factions, as a first step to resolve the crisis in the country. The group also called on the regime to put an end to the “ongoing crackdowns and media campaigns against dissidents.” Despite expressing readiness to attend the talks, the opposition groups have cast doubt over the effectiveness of the talks. Six members from the opposition and eight from pro-regime groups will attend the talks. The popular uprising began in Bahrain in mid-February 2011. The Saudi regime and the United Arab Emirates sent security and military forces to the country upon a request from Manama to help the Bahraini government quash the peaceful protests. Dozens of people have been killed in the crackdown, and the security forces have arrested hundreds including doctors and nurses.