Whither Tunisia?

January 13 by Fathi Chamkhi

Just hours after his appointment, the new interior minister has declared a curfew from 20h to 5h30 on four governorates that constitute ‘Greater Tunis’, which house about one quarter of the population of Tunisia and which concentrates more than half of its business. Moreover, police continue to fire on demonstrators, and the death toll continues to rise.

Of course, nobody believes in Tunisia that the new minister is responsible for the order of the curfew or that of further assassinations, no more than his predecessor was directly responsible for earlier massacres. We all know that nothing is being decided without the approval of Tunisia Ben Ali, particularly security, an area that is under his control since well before his ascension to the head of state in 1987.

Replacing the interior minister who is considered by some observers as a pacifying measure is far from being one. Besides, what has changed, except for more repression?

In reality, Ben Ali, while designating a scapegoat (for all practical purposes, who knows?), seeks to relieve the pressure on some ‘friendly governments’ of the North because of their complicit silence vis-à-vis massacres in Tunisia, especially the French and Italian governments.

1. -The social protest began on last 17th Dec. in Sidi Bouzid (Center west of Tunisia) following the immolation of an unemployed young 26-year-old graduate of the University, before spreading to the rest the country and then increasing. During the first week the dispute has remained limited in Sidi Bouzid and some nearby smaller towns, until the first victim was shot dead on 24th December.
2. – The use of live bullets against the demonstrators was the response of power against the extension of the challenge to other regions, particularly Tela and Kasserine. But the use of firearms has remained ‘moderate’ for ten days, before turning to the massacre in the second weekend of January and beyond. The number of casualties can be counted in tens and the hundreds of wounded.
3. -Since yesterday, a milestone in the expansion of the social movement was reached when the revolt was eventually settled in Tunis, the capital and heart of the country.

Following the failure of the bloody repression to stifle the movement, as was the case during the uprising in the mining region in 2008, the authority has deployed the army for a week, first in the interior cities, and throughout, especially in Tunis.

The decision of the curfew came as an intervention while the movement was spreading to the city of Tunis.

This brings us to the following remarks:

– A spontaneous protest movement started 27 days back and is rapidly spreading across the country, despite a bloody crackdown.

– In a country which is projected as a model for ‘economic success’ and is regarded as ‘an emerging country’ especially due to its programme for the implementation of liberal capitalist policies of international  financial institutions, which eventually explode as a powder keg

Finally, an economically oppressive and socially unfair system of systematic repression for over ¼th of a century which  led to an almost complete pacification of society, has eventually exploded due to the huge amount of social tension, humiliation as well as hatred that has built up. How it will end? Nobody can say right now, but one thing is certain: it is already dead!

– One thing is certain: power goes crazy because it cannot understand why its repressive machinery does not produce its usual effects! This power has repressed and denied rights, so much so that we can say, rightly, that it does not know anything other than that! Such power cannot be reformed!  That is what confirms the deployment of the army and the curfew, and the blindness that is its own, and that prevents it from understanding the historical sense of the social movement that unfolds before it. That said, all those in the opposition, who still hope for a democratic opening of power, even a little, are seriously mistaken. Such an error can only prolong the suffering of the Tunisian people.

– Some people, both seated in power and in opposition, want to deter Ben Ali from using armed force, and opting for a democratic opening. It seems to me that the formula of ‘government of national salvation’ pretty much summarizes these attempts. Will he resign if the situation so demands? I highly doubt it!

The revolution has started. That alone has the answer to all these questions.

Tunis, 12th January 2011

Fathi Chamkhi

RAID-ATTAC/ CADTM TUNISIA