Tunisia declares emergency
1/14/2011
TUNIS, Tunisian authorities have declared a state of emergency on Friday as riots are escalating in this North African country.
They said in a statement that the move aims to keep the safety of people and properties, noting that a gathering of more than three people in public would be illegal.
A curfew has also been imposed in the country from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am, the Tunisian authorities said.
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali earlier announced that he would dismiss his government and call new legislative elections after police fired tear gas at thousands of protesters marching through the capital to demand his ouster.
Tunisian protesters mobbed the capital of Tunis today, fueled by pent-up anger at high unemployment and surging prices.
Marching through the city, they demanded Ben Ali's resignation and some even climbed onto the roof of the Interior Ministry.
Tunisian President Vows to End Reign
In an effort to pacify nationwide unrest (CNN), Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali announced on national radio that he will not seek reelection after twenty-three years in office.
Despite the concession, violent protests continue to rage and have claimed the lives of at least twenty-three (al-Jazeera). Observers cite high unemployment and fierce police crackdown as origins of the political turmoil (WSJ). Thousands of demonstrators swarmed the Interior Ministry on Friday morning, calling for the president's immediate resignation. One of President Ben Ali's most outspoken opponents has requested the formation of a coalition government (NYT). The public clashes in Tunisia coincide with a high-profile speech (WashPost) made by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton emphasizing the need for political reform in the Arab world.
In this op-ed for The Huffington Post, Isobel Coleman and Charles Landow discuss how lack of good governance in Africa condemns millions to poverty and fails to unleash the continent's great potential.
This article for ForeignPolicy.com questions the media's limited coverage of the Tunisian crisis, and asks, "Where are the democracy promoters in Tunisia?"
