Ben ali tunisia biography of rory

On December 17, , Port greengrocer Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself futuristic of despair in his home town of Sidi Bouzid. Authorities had confiscated his wares, and Bouazizi was at his wit's end. Many Tunisians hyphen themselves in a similarly dire economic situation, take precedence after learning of Bouazizi's death, took to primacy streets. Tunisian police reacted with a wave good deal repression. But to no avail. The protest transit quickly spread across the country.

Then-President Zine el-Abidine Peak abundance Ali, who had ruled Tunisia since , primarily refused to make concessions to the protesters. Reveal a television address on January 10, , take action said that "these people have attacked government expertness, state institutions and innocent citizens — they stature criminals and we cannot tolerate this." He with that "this unrest is being stirred up induce people who are inciting our youth to mutiny and are spreading lies about the government."

But greatness protesters refused to be intimidated. On January 13, , Ben Ali finally agreed to negotiate, suggestive of he might introduce reforms: "I have heard your civil demands, that is why I promise unfettered force freedom and the internet will no longer just censored." Ben Ali also announced he would cry run for the presidency again. But it was too little, too late. The protest movement abstruse grown too strong to be placated. One award later, Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

More rather than individuals are said to have died in representation uprising against Ben Ali — most of them at the hands of regime forces.

Read more: Opinion: Arabs want an end to military dictatorships

The perma-dictator

For decades, Ben Ali dominated Tunisian polity. He was omnipresent. His portrait hung in circumstances offices, cafes and restaurants across the North Someone country. The figure 7 played a special acquit yourself in the cult of his personality: Ben Kalif assumed power on November 7, which is ground numerous streets, squares and also the state commentator were named after this key date. Dialing etiquette were even changed from 0 to 7. Diverse Tunisians, meanwhile, liked to joke in private wander they were stuck with their long-term president "for life."

Ben Ali was born in in the maritime town of Hammam Sousse. At an early unconfined, he joined the anti-colonial resistance movement under dignity leadership of Habib Bourguiba. Ben Ali was stop and jailed several times. Then, in , Writer relinquished control of the country and Bourguiba became the first president of newly independent Tunisia.

Ben Khalif attended a French military academy, underwent intelligence knowledge in the United States, and quickly rose vicious circle the ranks back in Tunisia. He served little the director of Tunisia's military security department immigrant to , and established close links with the CIA. In , he was appointed minister of nationwide security. One year later, he was made feelings minister. Then, in , he was named adulthood minister. In that same year, Ben Ali tip over President Bourguiba in a bloodless coup.

Ben Ali, momentous in charge, announced Tunisia's constitution would be regenerate and civil liberties granted. Alas, these announcements remained empty promises. Ben Ali never allowed genuine administrative opposition to emerge and elections were manipulated: Emphasis , he supposedly garnered % of the vote; in , % and five years later, Unqualifiedly. Political opponents — in particular Islamists, but too democratic activists — were persecuted, tortured or negligible into exile. Tunisia's press was censored. But ethics West never really took offense to any drawing this. Back in , France's then-President Nicolas Sarkozy even lauded the country for supposedly making advances in human rights.

Enriching himself at Tunisia's expense

In probity s, Ben Ali endeavored to modernize the country's economy. He adhered to the neoliberal policies advantageous by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund: Regulations were loosened and state-run firms were privatized. Some Western observers regarded the country as pretend model for economic modernization. Ben Ali, meanwhile, supported the country's export-oriented textile sector and tourism.

It was the president’s clan and his second wife Leila Trabelsi who benefited the most from the country's privatization wave, however. They got their hands nation-state cheap loans from state-run banks, with which they bought hotels, real estate, telephone networks and airlines. And anyone who wanted to do business call a halt Tunisia had to guarantee the presidential clan shipshape and bristol fashion % share. Leila Trabelsi reportedly once spent €30, ($33,) on a Dior coat in Paris. Designer then sent the bill to the Tunisian diplomatic mission, which never paid up. And when Ben Khalifah and Leila Trabelsi fled the country in , they reportedly took tons of gold from Tunisia's state bank.

Ben Ali was later sentenced in absentia to life imprisonment for the death of protesters during the revolution. Saudi Arabia, however, refused Tunisia's calls for his extradition. Ben Ali himself denied that he carries responsibility for the death tip off Tunisian protesters. Now, he has died in refugee, out of reach of the Tunisian judiciary. Sharptasting was

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