March 1 — Europe: SERBIA/EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union (EU) grants Serbia candidate status in its attempts to become an EU member. The decision was prompted by Serbia’s concession on Kosovo and other efforts in democratic reforms. Other candidate countries are Turkey, Macedonia, Iceland, and Montenegro. Croatia is scheduled to become the EU member in mid-2013.
March 2 — Europe: EUROPEAN UNION
In response to the recent financial crisis, twenty-five European Union (EU) members approve the fiscal compact, a new treaty aiming at enforcing budget deficit rules. The United Kingdom and the Czech Republic have opted out of the treaty. The deal must be approved by either national parliaments or referendums. The new treaty stipulates that the countries within the eurozone will be able to check each other’s budgets and the European Court of Justice will have the right to impose fines on the members deviating from the rules.
March 4 — Middle East: YEMEN
More than 100 people are killed in Yemen during clashes between rebels linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen and the country’s security forces. The fighting takes place in the southern province of Abyan, not far from Zinjibar, the city occupied by the militants.
March 5 — Europe: RUSSIA
Russian Prime Minister and former President Vladimir Putin wins presidential elections, which gives him a third presidential term. Thousands of opponents in many cities across the country take to the streets, claiming widespread fraud. Police arrests hundreds of protesters. International observers say that although various candidates were allowed to campaign freely, there were other serious problems.
March 6 — Latin America: BRAZIL
Brazil becomes the sixth largest economy, overtaking the United Kingdom. Although in 2011 Brazil’s economy grew only by 2.7 percent, less than in previous years, it did much better that most powerful economies struck by the recession. However, it is still classified as one of the most unequal countries in the world.
March 8 — Middle East: SYRIA
A Syrian deputy oil minister, Abdo Hussameddin, defects from the government to join the rebels fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad. Hussameddin is the highest-ranking official to leave the Syrian government.
March 11 — South Asia/North America: AFGHANISTAN/UNITED STATES
US Army Sergant Robert Bales goes on an armed rampage in Afghanistan’s Panjwai district of Kandahar, killing 16 Afghan civilians. The killing that comes right after an incident of burning copies of the Koran by the US soldiers causes anger among the Afghan people and heightening tensions between both countries.
March 14 — Africa/International Organizations: DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO/ICC
The International Criminal Court (ICC) finds former guerrilla leader Thomas Lubanga guilty of using child soldiers during the conflict between ethnic groups in the north-eastern resource-rich Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a victory for the international court and precedence, showing that the ICC can bring the world’s worst criminals to justice.
March 14 — Middle East: SYRIA
Syrian government troops take over the city of Idlib, the stronghold of the opposition rebel troops, the Free Syrian Army (FSA). The United Nations (UN) estimates that more than 9,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the Syrian uprising. (March 27): The Syrian government accepts the UN-sponsored peace plan drafted by UN envoy Kofi Annan, which calls on all parties to cease fire and allow humanitarian aid into the country. China and Russia agree to support the plan after the modifications of an earlier one. The UN, however, is unable to make it a formal resolution.
March 16 — Former Soviet Union/Europe: MOLDOVA
Parliament in Moldova elects Judge Nicolae Timofti the country’s president after a 3-year long deadlock. The opposition Communist Party had blocked the election in protest of the government’s pro-European policy.
March 22 — Africa: MALI
Military officers in Mali depose the country’s president Amadou Toumani Toure and seize power, accusing the president of failing to deal effectively with the Tuareg rebellion in the north of the country. The international community, including the United Nations, the World Bank, and the African Development Bank condemns the coup. The African Union and the West African regional organization, ECOWAS, suspend Mali’s memberships.
March 26 — Middle East/International Organizations: ISRAEL/UNITED NATIONS
Israel cuts its relations with the United Nations Human Rights Council after the Council voted to investigate the implications of the Israeli settlements on rights of the Palestinians in the Occupied Territories.
March 28 — East Asia/North America: NORTH KOREA/UNITED STATES
The United States suspends food aid to North Korea. The U.S. says that North Korea has broken an agreement by announcing its plans to launch a new rocket.