Tunisia Free Forever

Enjoy Tunisia!

2011-05-14T02:04:00.001-07:00

Discover this hospitable land of colours and contrasts, spices and scents and enjoy its natural beauty. Situated on the northernmost point of Africa, Tunisia is the perfect destination for people who are looking for a relaxing, cultural or golfing holiday.

Your first glimpse of Tunisia will probably be one of white sandy beaches and crystalline blue sea. Temptations exist all around you - walk along miles of sparkling beaches, windsurf in the cool breezes of the Mediterranean, explore the Sahara desert on a two day safari, play golf or visit the Roman ruins at Carthage - it's your choice!

Tunisia has been rocked by protests against the interim government since Thursday

2011-05-14T01:07:00.000-07:00

Tunisia’s planned July elections to form a new government after the ouster of the former president could be delayed amid renewed unrest, interim Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebsi said on Monday.

Protests erupted against Mr. Essebsi’s government last Thursday after former interior minister Farhat Rajhi claimed a military coup was being prepared should the Islamist Ennahda (Renaissance) win the July election.

Mr. Rajhi, in a video interview posted on Facebook, said some members of the ruling elite still in power were preparing a military coup should the Islamist Ennahda (Renaissance) win the July 24 election.

“Since independence, political life has been dominated by the people of the Tunisian Sahel,” such as former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, toppled in January.
Despite Mr. Ben Ali’s ouster these people were not ready to cede power, Mr. Rajhi said.

“If the results of the forthcoming elections go against their interests, there will be a military coup,” he said.
Mr. Rahji also said that Mr. Essebsi had discussed the military coup issue during a visit to Algeria in mid-March. Algeria and Tunisia , neighbors in North Africa, have had a tenuous relationship.

“The nomination on April 18 of General Rachid Ammar as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff is only in preparation of the coup,” Mr. Rahji said.

Mr. Essebsi responded on Sunday saying, “Farhat Rajhi is a liar and his statements are dangerous and irresponsible and (he) deserves to be prosecuted.”

In a bid to reassure protesters he reiterated commitment to the July poll but said logistical problems could delay the vote.

“The government made a commitment by choosing the date of July 24 and we intend to keep to that date but if the reform committee says there are technical and logistical hitches, there will be another probability to discuss,” he said.

“It is true we have been slow in dealing with this but the high commission charged with preparing these crucial elections in July is independent and the government is only giving it material and logistical support,” Mr. Essebsi said.

The election will appoint an assembly to draw up a new constitution after the January 14 ouster of Mr. Ben Ali, who held power for 23 years. His authoritarian rule, according to his critics, was characterized by corruption.

The uprising that toppled Mr. Ben Ali sparked revolts across the Arab world, such as in Egypt.

Mr. Essebsi said the work of the provisional government would cease on the day of the vote.

(Mustapha Ajbaili of Al Arabiya can be reached at: Mustapha.ajbaili@mbc.net)

Egypt:The Tunisian domino effect?

2011-05-13T16:44:00.001-07:00

Fearing the rise of violence, lots of Libyan refugees decide to flee in Tunisia, in order to find an asylum, waiting for the end of the crisis

2011-05-13T16:28:00.000-07:00

what do you think of Rached ghannouchi speech?

2011-05-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

Two men returning to Libya from Algeria are arrested in Tunisian hotel carrying a bomb

2011-05-12T11:47:00.000-07:00

These are two Libyans coming from Algeria who wanted to go to Libya, one of them was carrying a homemade bomb and a suitcase full of food," the source said.

   Before their arrest occurred on the night of Wednesday, "the two men went to a hotel in Tataouine, and the Tunisian police who became suspicious about their behaviour stopped them and discovered the bomb," added this source.

   "The two men confessed that they wanted to go to Libya," the source said without giving further details.

   Tataouine is a city with many refugees from Libya, located 130 km from the border post of Dehiba.

   Previously, the official news agency TAP had reported that two men aged 25 were arrested in possession of a homemade bomb each.

   According to a resident reached by telephone by AFP from Tunis, the two men were arrested in Medina Hotel in Tataouine, where many Libyan refugees have settled, in the heart of the city.

   "The local authorities are silent about it, even the hotel owner does not wish to give information about what happened," said the resident.

Ennaharonline/ M. O.

sniper assassin

2011-05-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

the secret of sniper in the Arab revolutions.who are they?and how they do their job?watch this video for further information.

who is behind what happened in Rades Stadium?

2011-05-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

supporters set fire to the studium in an attempt to stop the game.

This is unacceptable act and such people should be punished.

the return of police repression

2011-05-07T12:21:00.000-07:00

Today, Tunisian people have witnessed another image of the police violence.

police violence against protesters in Tunis underscores the need for Tunisia's transitional government to break with the brutally repressive ways of the past.

Police forces should respect the freedom of assembly and use force only when strictly necessary. The authorities should immediately investigate and prosecute officers who use unlawful force against protesters.

Paris street few minutes ago

2011-05-07T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tunisia: Ousted Leader Faces New Charges in Protesters’ Deaths

2011-05-07T07:39:00.001-07:00

Tunisian authorities have filed new charges against the ousted leader,Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, and his wife over the killing of protesters during the revolt against his rule, the official TAP news agency reported on Wednesday. The agency said the charges stemmed from the shooting deaths of several protesters by security forces in the town of Ouardanine, when protesters tried to stop a nephew of Mr. Ben Ali from fleeing. The authorities have said the charges against Mr. Ben Ali included voluntary manslaughter and drug trafficking. They are seeking his extradition with his wife from Saudi Arabia.

Tunisia: Tensions Rise After Coup Threat

2011-05-07T07:35:00.000-07:00

The police battled hundreds of protesters in Tunis, above, demanding the government’s resignation on Friday in the most violent confrontations for weeks with pro-democracy demonstrators. Tension has risen since a former minister warned Thursday of a possible coup by loyalists of the ousted government if Islamists win elections. Protesters said that even though the interim government had denounced the coup threat, it raised fears that it could be used to derail reforms meant to lead to an election in July. The interim government has led Tunisia since a revolution in January.

$ 47 million in U.S. humanitarian aid for refugees on the Tunisian-Libyan border

2011-05-06T04:07:00.000-07:00

Tunis News - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs U.S. $ 47 million in humanitarian assistance for refugees on the border Tunisian-Libyan and came within the framework of the visit performed by Eric Schwartz, Assistant U.S. Secretary of State in charge of population, refugees and migration to Tunisia accompanied by Director to help Nancy Indborg responsible for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance the heart of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The Eric Schwartz during a press conference held Thursday afternoon in the capital that came to Tunisia carrying a message of solidarity from President Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, Secretary of State with the Tunisian people.

The contribution of the United States in hundreds of refugees return to their countries, including in particular, Egyptian citizens, explaining that the process was relatively short in duration.

And stressed the need for the sustained mobilization to respond to the needs arising from other status may be more difficult. Schwartz urged other Governments to provide their assistance and means to mobilize the necessary protection of refugees stranded on the Tunisian-Libyan border.

For its part, considered Nancy Indborg that there is an urgent need to respond to the basic needs of the stranded from the Food and hygiene kits and medical, while seeking to find solutions for people who lost their jobs in Libya.

According to American officials, the process of studying other alternatives with allies and friendly countries to provide additional assistance. She expressed what proved to be affected by the Tunisians of generosity and solidarity towards refugees arriving at the border with Libya.

Also talked Minister of Public Health with Mr. Eric Schwartz. Formed Conversation opportunity to exchange views on further control in the health camps for the displaced from Libya, and across the U.S. envoy expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by Tunisia, the Government and people to alleviate the suffering of refugees to the territory of Tunisia alluding to what is available within the camp areas border health and social care, living and at the same time expressing his country's readiness to support these efforts.

For its part, The Minister of Public Health on the need to expedite the deportation of foreign expatriate communities daily on Tunisia in order to cope with the influx of refugees in the best circumstances pointing to the ministry seeking to strengthen the means of ambulance and emergency medical intervention, the different structures of the health resort near the border points in case of any emergency.

On the sidelines of the visit performed by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Immigration and Refugee Board met with the U.S. official, Minister of Social Affairs, who stressed that the conditions of Tunisians from Libya scrutinized the attention of referring to the concern to find appropriate solutions for their reintegration in collaboration with national organizations and international bodies

He also stressed that the situation on the border is now under control, calling for the need to speed up the evacuation of foreign arrivals, particularly Bengal and the rest of Alaciaoyen reiterated the call to all parties-governmental and international organizations to redouble their efforts at this level, "in anticipation of any expectations may occur."

And across the U.S. official, "which resulted in a visit on Wednesday to head the camp is worth" Alchocp "" appreciation for Refugees enjoys the attention and solidarity reconsider the "privileged" to the Tunisian people to cope with this emergency situation

The support provided by the United States of America of the International Organization for Migration to help in the process of repatriation of refugees and expressed his country's readiness to nourish a national and international efforts at this level.

2011-05-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day

2011-05-02T11:57:00.001-07:00

Now Feeling Free, but Still Without Work, Tunisians Look Toward Europe

2011-05-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

ZARZIS, Tunisia — The revolution has changed much in this low-slung, whitewashed city on the Mediterranean coast. Residents no longer live in fear of the secret police, and speak openly of politics. Devout Muslims say they feel a new freedom to practice their faith. The red national flags that hang almost everywhere are no longer joined by the portrait of the ousted president, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

But scores of unemployed young men still slouch in the cafes in the afternoons, smoking water pipes, playing cards and sipping coffee. And at night, the fishing boats still ferry thousands of desperate workers across the Mediterranean to Europe.

“If I could swim to Lampedusa, I’d do it,” said Walid Bourwina, 23, referring to the Italian island to which thousands of Tunisians have recently fled. A small red satchel, stretched tight with all his belongings, leaned against his foot.

“I don’t want to spend a minute more here,” he said.

He had come to Zarzis, long a major port of departure for Tunisians leaving for Europe, two weeks earlier from a village farther north. He was waiting — like dozens and dozens of other young men, their faces tired and drawn, wandering this city with their own small bags — to be approached by local people who quietly offer passage to Lampedusa for about $1,450.

Tunisians young and old tell of their pride at felling a dictator and touching off the uprisings that have spread across the Arab world. But the exaltation of mid-January has begun to give way to more sober realities. The revolution has not solved chronic youth unemployment, and the unrest has battered the economy with the flight of tourists and capital. The government is in upheaval, and many also fear it will be years before a pre-revolution culture of mistrust and corruption fades.

“It’s an entire country that needs to be remade,” said Ahmed Faouzi Khenissi, the mayor of Zarzis, a city of 70,000. “It’s not going to be one year, or two years, or three years. It’s going to be an entire generation.”

“If I were their age,” he said of the young men who flee to Europe, “I would have emigrated.”

With the border police suddenly absent after the departure of Mr. Ben Ali on Jan. 14, more than 15,000 Tunisians have left in boats for Europe, according to the United Nations, most setting off from the beaches of Zarzis. In response, Italy’s various regions agreed Tuesday to temporarily share the responsibility of taking in as many as 50,000 migrantsleaving North Africa.

“I don’t want to wait, unemployed, for another year, before things start getting better,” Mr. Bourwina said.

The eldest son of a day laborer, he dropped out of high school because his family could no longer afford to pay for his schooling, he said. He had been out of work for the past year, though earlier he had been a painter in Tunis, the capital, earning 300 dinars each month. It was more than the minimum wage, but far from enough to pay for the home and car he covets, let alone the European lifestyle — discovered through Facebook, he said — to which he aspires, like many Tunisian youths.

For years, the unemployment rate here has hovered near 13 percent, according to official statistics. And in a nation where more than half the population is under 30, youth unemployment is at 30 percent, and even higher among university graduates.

Tunisia’s interim prime minister, Béji Caïd Essebsi, has said that reducing unemployment will very likely prove “arduous,” and would require an improbable economic growth rate of 8 or 9 percent.

“Tunisia is capable of this,” Mr. Essebsi vowed in an interview this month with Le Monde.

It would have been an ambitious goal even for pre-revolutionary Tunisia, where in the past decade annual growth only once exceeded 6 percent, in 2007. And it is a task made harder by the social and political unrest that has continued since mid-January. Planned elections remain several months away, and a number of interim ministers have resigned or been forced out of office. Several people have died in continuing street protests.

The tensions have sapped investor confidence, and agencies have downgraded Tunisia’s credit rating to near junk status.

The country’s economy weathered the global downturn with relative poise — growing 3 percent in 2009 — but it was dealt a harsh blow by the revolution. The upheaval crippled the critical tourism sector, which typically employs 400,000 of the country’s 3.3 million workers and accounts for 7 percent of gross domestic product. Tourism revenues have dropped 40 percent in the months since Mr. Ben Ali’s ouster. (The government has, however, started a promotional campaign with the cheeky tag line, “Finally free to tan.”)

A version of this article appeared in print on March 24, 2011, on page A17 of the New York edition.

spread this message

2011-05-01T13:44:00.000-07:00

we will boost tourism in tunisia together.

Some of God's greatest gifts

2011-05-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

Tunisia:the jewel of world

2011-05-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

Tunisia's beautiful beaches and historical treasures attract millions of tourists from all over the world. In 2007 they reached more than 6.5 million.

Visitors sunbathe, dive, sail, and fish along the vast stretches of glistening, white sandy Mediterranean beaches covering a 810- mile coast. Beach resorts include Tabarka, Hammamet, Sousse and Jerba. El-Kantaoui's 27-hole golf course and Andalusian style marina is a fully-integrated tourism complex.Tunisia's Saharan tourism attractions includes an international golf course situated under Tozeur's lush palm groves as well as many desert festivals.

The perched village of Sidi Bou Said offers a unique scenery of domes, arched doors and balconies in blue and white set against a sparkling sea.Punic and Roman archaeological sites can be visited in Carthage and other historical areas around the country. They include second century Roman temple in Dougga, the Phoenician port of Utica, Sbeitla's Roman temples and arches, Bulla Regia's Roman villas and El Jem's Coliseum, which is second only to Rome. The Bardo Museum, near Tunis, boasts the largest collection of Roman mosaics in the world.
Masterpieces of Arab-Islamic architecture attract the attention of visitors. Among them: the Great Mosque of Kairouan, the Moslem World's fourth holiest city, and the Great Mosque of Ezzitouna, at the center of the old city (the Medina) of Tunis.

The jewel of the Maghreb , the GreenLand , the mother country of Hannibal the Conqueror and so many others, Welcome to TUNISIA !!!

Welcome to Tunisia:enjoy your summer holiday

2011-05-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Tunisia, being in the Mediterranean has since been trying hard enough to set itself as a high class world recognized tourist destination. This tunisia tourism travel guide will impart valuable information on your much intended and wished for journey to the most rated and important tourist destination in this beautiful land. You will discover many faces that the country has for you including the multifaceted Tunisian beaches, towns, Medina, Monuments, oasis, golf, sports and conference rooms, parks of entertainment, thalasso and casinos among many other interesting venues.