Residents and farmers rally in front of the regional government house in Sidi Bouzid.
A group of Tunisian farmers is waging war against a bank that they say is trying to force them off their land.
Having bought land which came at a hefty rate of interest in 2003/2004, the farmers, from Regueb, centre-west of the country, found themselves unable to keep up with their repayments with the Banque National Agricole (BNA).
They were forced to file for bankruptcy in June and their lands were ordered to be sold at auction by a judge. On June 23, the 20 families began a mass sit-in on their farms, and since then, their movement has gained ground. But it remains embattled and police cracked down on a protest march on July 15.
FRANCE 24 contacted the BNA but is yet to receive a response.
Slimane Rouissi is the regional union representative for farmers in Regueb. He was at the protest in Sidi Buzid – the region in which Regueb is located – on Thursday July 15.
This affair has come about because of a grand government scheme launched in 2001. It was supposed to encourage farmers, especially young ones, to invest in the sector. So most of those who took out loans were young apprentices starting their own businesses.
The process was doomed from the start because the BNA insisted that the borrowers buy a certain amount of equipment before giving them the first instalment; so they were already in debt elsewhere before the bank loan. Because of that, they soon found themselves juggling repayments to two lenders. And obviously the commercial lender, rather than the bank, was their priority.
The BNA acted very unfairly. Not only was the interest on their loans huge (between 12% and 19% [the average in Tunisia is 8%]), but they refused to allow the borrowers to extend their repayment period.
As has been pointed out in court, letters sent to the farmers about their looming bankruptcy were methodically sent to the wrong addresses. That left the farmers with no option but to file for bankruptcy, because they’d surpassed the date when they were able to contest it. Then, during the auction, there was only one person bidding for the lands (which was, incidentally, sold for a measly sum).
What we’re protesting here is that the bank did not follow the rules in bringing about these bankruptcies. We believe that there was a scheme in place, orchestrated by the bank and the judge, who, strangely enough, was from the same region as the people who bought the land.
On Thursday, we began demonstrating in the morning. Some of the top farmers from the region had planned to go the regional government to talk to the officials there. But the police refused to let them pass. Passers-by began rallying round the farmers; and suddenly, there were about 400 of us. We held our banners high and chanted slogans.
Once again, the police tried to disperse us. They snatched our banners off us and used batons and teargas to stifle us. One man fainted and a woman had to go to hospital.”
The farmers’ sit-in in Regueb, where they put up tents to sleep under. Photo posted on the Facebook group in support of the farmers.
Farmers at the sit-in sleeping under a temporary tent.
Protestors in front of the regional government house. Photo sent to us by our Observers Slimane Rouissi.
A woman passes out during the protest. Photo sent to us by our Observers Slimane Rouissi.
Welcome to the Wild capitalism
BNA, They executives learned from their masters in Wall Street and from the era of Reagan – in the 1980’s- when the big Agro-businesses and the banks get together and ripped off the small farmers in the Midwest…
A Tunisian
فيديو: عينة من المتضررين في قضية أراضي الرقاب من ولاية زيدي بوزيد
can anyone one trace th money
given yearly by the european
commission to help small tunisian
businesses to adjust?.
who syphonsit and to whom does it
go?.
where did tunisian telecom tunisia
sale proceeds go to?.
where does the trabelsi,materi,and other
latchers raise their capitals from?.
have they ever repaid their loans?
any proceeds ever been taken against
these clowns.?
apart from mahbouli,did any supplier
of capital,services,jobs,or goods had
justice in recuparating what was
owed to them?.
yet the system is swift against small
self employed farmers from regueb.
more than one tune to tunisia?
mafia operate in honorable manner
if compared to tunisian banks.
they usually take 10% and stick to
a rule.yet these tunisian institutions
are charging 20% second only to
zimbabui or similar despots heavens.
what will the new institution zitouna
be charging as interest we wonder?
a respected tunisian icon of culturel
heritage being proclaimed and usurped by the most
ruthless purgatory low gutter breed.
not much left to annex and proclaim?
the tunisian blood is drying out,foreign
investment will do the same but we will
chase you where ever you escape in the
future.
23 million euro as capital would not
build a toilet block in certain developed
countries and yet it is heralded as a
morphing phenemona.private banks
should not be opened by the reserve
bank chief,miniters and given that
much publicity at the expence of goverment,
what about the competiters,how do they
feel about this favourable treatment?.
your shade wont leave you,the tunisian
will shade you.
to all farmers,mine workers,journo,others
our hearts are with you.you are never
alone as tunes means you have friends,
and never be lonely roughly translated
better luck to all tunisian my wish for
your future.
A test case should be brought
against zibla,his ministers,his
chozen parlementarians,advisors,
police and certain army members
of the military that cooperated
with his thuggery.
By using his most draconian new
law against him.
The image he is trying to buy and
project using the spin of marketing
gurus.
these slick new york yankees will
have a hard time creating a false
aura for a tyrant zibla from
africa.you simply can not turn
him into a fil or jasmine,he
smells,his actions are a monstrious.
He betrays the image of a third world
country,almost bankrupt through,his
family,his wife family and so on.
to whom you market a glossy
image in usa?:
the average american when asked
what tunisia is?and the reply would
most likely be:
a name of a twisted zebra.
a breed of gorilla.
a island in the pacific.
or who cares.
We like what we are wich is
more like zimbabue,north korea,
congo,nigeria but a little more corrupt
like all arab states and their tyrants.
we are not even tolerant to speach,
gathering or critisisme.
useless unable to build a bridge between
la goulette and rades without the japanese
and egyptians.
What is the use of a glossy image which
is not our reality?.
by that alone he shall be tried for tarnishing
our image.plus the millions spent on fat cats
of ad world would have been sufficent to
bail the poor farmers of sidi bouzaid and
kirouan.
If that money was used for the mentioned
above it would have won him hearts in
state of creating terror and hate in the
heart of his citizens.
He meant to serve them not squash them.
Zibla the only place fit for you is a
poubelle,the underground version so
to contain the bad aroma you left in
every tunisian mouth.
Every rat has a tail and an end.
Yours is a bad tale to tell.
so long….