Oman
will raze a roundabout that became a hub for protesters earlier this year in
the city of Sohar, where two people were killed during unrest in the Gulf Arab
sultanate, al-Shabiba newspaper reported on Monday.
Transport
Minister Ahmed bin Mohammed al-Futaisi was quoted as saying it would make way
for a new intersection to help ease traffic problems, avoid accidents and
upgrade the surrounding roads.
Hundreds
of Omanis took to the streets of the northern industrial city of Sohar in
February to demand higher pay, more jobs and an end to graft by government
officials.
The
scale of the protests and scope of their aims was much lower than in other Arab
countries where long-serving leaders have been toppled by popular uprisings
this year.
Bahrain
in March tore down the statue at the centre of Pearl roundabout, the nucleus
and symbol of pro-democracy demonstrations that were snuffed out by the Gulf
kingdom’s ruling monarchy along with troops from other Gulf states.
The
roadworks were decreed by Oman’s ruler Sultan Qaboos bin Said, according to the
paper.
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