French media reports that the French
President Nicholas Sarkozy, once a close ally of Zine El Abidine Ben
Ali, refused to allow him land in Paris.
There are conflicting reports about the
whereabouts of Ben Ali who ruled Tunisia for nearly a quarter of a
century. Some reports say that he is headed to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Still tensions remain high in Tunisia
even after Ben Ali is confirmed to have fled the country within hours
after dismissing the government and declaring a state of emergency.
The protesters are reported to be
ransacking government buildings in the capital, Tunis and other cities
and demanding that Mohammed Ghannouchi, the Prime Minister under Ben Ali
who took over power as new interim President should stand down.
Ben Ali’s heavy handed methods to quell
the uprising may have turned the country’s army against him. The past
one month saw violent clashes between the security forces and the angry
protesters which left scores of people dead. Ben Ali who ruled Tunisia
as a police state failed to deliver the promised reforms, tackle its
rising unemployment and inflation.
As the night fell in Tunisia the people on the street carrying their national flags have been chanting Humat Al-Hima (defenders of homeland), the country’s popular anthem.
_______________________________________________________ Written by: Ibrahim Nazim
15 January 2011, Saturday
11 Safar 1432
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