TUNISIA IN TURMOIL

KyaemonJanuary 27, 201120min1820

Tunisia issues arrest warrant for deposed dictator – Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8284040/Tunisia-issues-arrest-warrant-for-deposed-dictator.html


Jan 26, 2011

Tunisia issues arrest warrant for deposed dictator


Tunisia issued an international arrest warrant for its deposed dictator over corruption charges yesterday as its embattled interim government sought to shore up its position amid violent protests calling for its resignation.


Video: Tunisian police use tear gas against protesters – Telegraph

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/8283286/Tunisian-police-use-tear-gas-against-protesters.html


A demonstration calling for the sacking of Tunisian ministers loyal to ousted president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali descends into violence.


Click video inside


12:36PM GMT 26 Jan 2011

Demonstrators in Tunisia clashed with police on Wednesday near government offices in the old city.

Protests demanding a purge of former regime loyalists in an interim government descended into violence.


January 19, 2011

Tunisian ministers quit; police break up protest


TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — At least four opposition ministers quit Tunisia’s day-old unity government Tuesday, aligning themselves with demonstrators who insist democratic change is impossible while so many supporters of the freshly ousted president are hoarding posts of power. Police in riot gear forcefully put down a demonstration of the sort that toppled the North African country’s longtime autocratic leader last week, pummeling a demonstrator with batons and boot kicks — and highlighting a question on many minds: Is the new regime really much different? As Tunisia struggles to move past the rioting, looting and score-settling that has marked the political transition, there was a growing sense Tuesday that it will be difficult for the interim government to hold together and pave the way toward elections expected within six to seven months. After the initial exhilaration of last week, when a populist uprising ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali after 23 years in power and sent him fleeing to Saudi Arabia — sounding a warning bell for other political strongmen in the region — many are fretting about what it ultimately meant. (30 images)



DURING NARGIS, THE JUNTA WAS HIDING IN NAYPYIDAW FOR QUITE A WHILE.  HOWEVER, THE FORMER TUNISIAN PRESIDENT BEN ALI DID VISIT THE VICTIM PATIENT IN THE HOSPITAL.


IN SPITE OF THAT, HIS PAST CORRUPTION CAUGHT UP WITH HIM.  HE HAD TO FLEE INTO EXILE IN SAUDI ARABIA. FRANCE WON’T ACCEPT HIM.



Jan 19, 2011

An uprising in Tunisia

Beginning in December of last year, a series of ongoing protests in the streets of Tunisia escalated to the point where President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali – who had ruled the country for 23 years – at first declared he would not seek re-election, then fled the country on January 14th. An interim government was assembled, but protesters remain in the streets, demanding removal of all traces of Ben Ali’s old RCD party. Protesters’ frustrations with high unemployment, inflation and corruption drove them to the streets after a pivotal event, when a young Tunisian vendor named Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire after police confiscated his produce cart. Bouazizi died of his injuries days later. Collected here are images of the turmoil in Tunisia over the past couple of weeks. (40 photos total)

January 19, 2011

Jan 25, 2011

Tunisia’s government mulls Cabinet changes – Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110125/ap_on_re_af/af_tunisia

TUNIS, Tunisia – Tunisia’s new interim government worked Tuesday to replace ministers who quit and weighed possible deeper changes to the Cabinet as protesters continued to complain that the old guard still holds too much power.

Demonstrators are angry that members of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime have clung to leading posts in the interim government in place since last week. Ben Ali fled the country Jan. 14 after 23 years in power, pushed out by weeks of deadly protests driven by anger over joblessness, corruption and repression in the North African nation.

Anti-government protesters have demonstrated every day since Ben Ali’s ouster. For the first time Tuesday, hundreds marched in the capital in support of the caretaker government, which is trying to stabilize the country after five weeks of unrest.

One banner read, “Long live democracy, no to anarchy!”