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Tunisian man sets himself alight, in move that mimics start of Arab unrest
Man’s self-immolation highlights Tunisia’s continued struggle with unemployment, a year after the uprising.
People gather on December 17, 2011 in Sidi Bouzid’s Mohamed Bouazizi square, named after the fruit seller whose self-immolation sparked the revolution that ousted a dictator and ignited the Arab Spring.
FETHI BELAID
A Tunisian man set himself on fire in front of a government building to protest unemployment in a rural area, mimicking the Dec. 2010 self-immolation of a fruit vendor that sparked the uprisings across the Middle East.
Tunisia has so far been the success story of the so-called “Arab Spring,” with a largely peaceful transition to free and fair elections in October.
More from GlobalPost: 2011: Year for self-immolations
But poverty and unemployment continue to plague Tunisia’s hinterlands, and the latest incident only highlights Tunisia’s ongoing struggle with an ailing economy.
The man, a 48-year-old father of three, was part of a group of unemployed men staging a sit-in in front of the main government office in the Gafsa province to demand jobs.
More from GlobalPost: Tunisians celebrate one-year anniversary of revolt