Tunisian leader Ben Ali worried about protests
AFP
TUNIS- Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali said Tuesday he was worried by days of social unrest in the north African country triggered by the attempted suicide of an unemployed man.
"I have followed with anxiety and concern events in recent days in Sidi Bouzid," he said during an address on national broadcaster TV7, referring to the region at the centre of the protests.
Tensions flared on December 17 when a 26-year-old man who was selling fruit and vegetables on the streets set himself on fire after police confiscated his produce.
Four municipal officials have been suspended in connection with the incident, Tunisian media reported.
One protestor died in clashes between mostly unemployed youths and government security forces last Friday.
Ben Ali accused the opposition of exploiting the situation and exaggerating the scale of the protests. He also accused foreign media of dramatising events and not checking the facts.
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