14 Janvier 11

Revolution, My Love

On 17 December 2010, a young Tunisian in Sidi Bouzid sets himself ablaze. One by one, the country’s regions rise up. On 14 January 2011, after 23 years of dictatorship, Ben Ali leaves the country. Like so many other Tunisians, Karim Rmadi, Olfa Lamloum, Ghassen Amami and Selim Kharrat decide to return home after many years abroad. Four stories that tell of revolutionary fervor, the challenges of transition, and an unshakable faith in the future.

Tunisia: Two years On; The Crisis Deepens

The “Tunisian Revolution” has lost a good deal of its gloss. The rhetoric remains “radical”, the reality much less so. That it was a genuine national uprising engaging virtually the entire population is beyond doubt – and as such, nothing short of a regional inspiration. That it can be characterized as “a revolution” is open to question. What has changed?

videos: Roadmap of Political Reforms in Tunisia

For a month and a half since the famous popular uprisings that led to the Arab World’s first democratic revolution, Tunisia had been struggling to identify and implement the necessary structural and ideological changes that are essential for the budding democratic system. Tunisians all over the country had been patiently waiting to see what the interim government and the opposition leaders would bring to the table, and for a month and a half they got little more than flowery rhetoric praising the revolution and those who gave their lives for a democratic Tunisia.

A Night In Tunisia: Al Kasba’s lesson

Tunisian officials must be scratching their heads at the moment. After decades of a sluggish political apathy, the country has witnessed a couple of governments in a few weeks. Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannoushi’s resignation is edifying. Foremost among the lessons learned is that public pressure and private suasion eventually pay off.

Tunisia: Hold Police Accountable for Shootings

The transitional government of Tunisia should make it an urgent priority to investigate the killings of demonstrators by Tunisian security forces in early January 2011, Human Rights Watch said today. Security forces used excessive force in suppressing demonstrations in the central western cities of Kasserine and Tala, Human Rights Watch said, killing at least 21 people with live ammunition in these two cities alone between January 8 and 12, Human Rights Watch found.

Tunisia’s Transitional Government: a page from the Ben Ali playbook

It is remarkable how self-assuredly and skillfully Mohamed Ghanouchi and Foued Mbazaa are managing street anger by juggling the composition of the unity government (keeping old-regime figures in the unity government and disbanding the ruling party).

Tunisian unity government: Exclusion of certain opposition parties.

By Neji Ali Dhakouani, Like all Tunisians I have been closely watching recent developments in my native country. While many […]