From: Office of Terje Rod-Larsen alMINNIMPOINNI> Subject: IPI Middle East Update - April 3, 2014 Sent: Thursday, April 3, 2014 7:36:25 PM INTERNATIONAL PEACE INSTITUTE IPI Middle East Update April 3, 2014 Egypt: On March 26`h, army chief Abdel Fattah Al Sisi ended months of speculation by finally announcing that he was stepping down from his role in the military to contest the presidency, promising to rid the country of "terrorism." The news sparked a wave of civil unrest in Egypt as police clashed with supporters of deposed President Morsi in the streets of Cairo, Alexandria, and elsewhere over the weekend. Similarly, supporters of the popular presidential hopeful also took to the street—including Cairo's Tahrir Square—to celebrate the news, resulting in a series of clashes between the two camps. The episode was a reminder of the real cleavage that still exists within Egyptian society, especially heated given the recent court ruling two days before that sentenced 529 Morsi supporters to death for rioting. The ruling sentences were handed down after a two-day trial, sparking an international controversy that the UN called a "breach of international human rights law." The electoral commission announced that the presidential election will now take place on May 26th and 27th. If there is no clear winner, the election will go into a second round (as occurred in 2012), but this outcome is highly unlikely given Al Sisi's popularity and status, which serves as somewhat of a deterrent to other candidates. The only other main candidate that has come forward so far is the Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabbahi, who came third in the previous presidential election against Morsi. Lebanon: Spillover violence from the neighboring civil war in Syria reached a flashpoint in the northern city of Tripoli where 26 people—mostly civilians—were killed in clashes between pro- and anti-Damascus elements. The warring districts of Bab al-Tebbaneh (predominantly Sunni)