A private jet used by French foreign affairs minister Michèle Alliot-Marie while holidaying in strife-torn Tunisia for the New Year belonged to a company run by the reviled brother-in-law of deposed Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Mediapart can reveal (along with the aircraft's intriguing flight log).
Two weeks ago Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled a popular revolution and rage that caught more than him and his cronies by surprise. For over the past decade, numerous international organisations and institutions regularly exhorted developing countries to follow Tunisia as a model of economic success and stability. Ludovic Lamant asks; how could the 'experts' have got it all so wrong?
In what has already been called the 'Jasmine Revolution', Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled the country Friday evening. The events on Friday were the culmination of three weeks of angry protests across the country against spiralling food prices, unemployment, corruption and human rights abuse. In the streets of Tunis, Mediapart's Thomas Cantaloube witnessed the last violent hours before Ben Ali was forced out after more than two decades of his iron rule.
Tunisia is witnessing the largest and most violent popular protest movement since President Ben Ali came to power 23 years ago. Thousands of Tunisian lawyers staged a national strike and demonstrations (photo) on January 6th, joining the revolts born from high youth unemployment, soaring inflation, and widespread corruption and human rights violations.
