Latest news with #Saied
Straits Times
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Sudan's RSF launches second drone attack in Port Sudan, security sources say
Sudan's RSF launches second drone attack in Port Sudan, security sources say PORT SUDAN - Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces launched a second drone strike in as many days on Port Sudan, targeting fuel depots in the eastern city early on Tuesday, security sources told Reuters, in a major escalation of a two-year-long conflict. Large plumes of smoke and fire rose from the facility well into the afternoon as civil defence teams worked to contain a blaze there. Military sources told Reuters that the RSF used a drone at dawn to bomb the fuel storage facilities that they described as civilian infrastructure. "This attack reflects a deliberate attempt by these militias to paralyse life and target citizens' basic needs," Sudan's energy and petroleum minister Mohiedienn Naiem Mohamed Saied said. The sources labelled the strike part of a "criminal campaign by the militia." Speaking from the site, Saied condemned what he described as a "terrorist operation" aimed at crippling essential services. He said fires had engulfed major fuel storage facilities after the drone hit a diesel depot and the blaze spread to nearby tanks, according to a ministry statement. There were fears it could trigger a wider disaster in the densely populated area, Saied said. The RSF has not yet claimed responsibility for the strike. On Sunday, the RSF carried out a drone attack on a military base and other targets near Port Sudan Airport, the first time the group had reached the strategic Red Sea city, previously considered a government stronghold and humanitarian hub. No casualties were reported. The eastern expansion of hostilities threatens to upend the fragile stability of Port Sudan, which houses the country's main seaport, airport and the army's top command. Since April 2023, Sudan has been gripped by war between the army and RSF, triggered by a dispute over a transition to civilian rule. The conflict has displaced over 12 million people and pushed half the population into acute hunger, according to the United Nations. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Middle East Eye
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
As repression deepens, can Tunisia's opposition bring the country back from the brink?
Last month, Tunisia witnessed several days of brutally repressed protests and a sham trial of over 40 opposition figures, transporting citizens back to the dark days before the revolution. Protests erupted in Tunisia's central city of Mezzouna on 14 April after three students were killed when a school wall collapsed. Mezzouna lies in the Sidi Bouzid region, the birthplace of the 2011 revolution that toppled the dictatorship of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and ignited the Arab Spring. The protests continued throughout the week. Shops and schools in the area shut down, while demonstrators burned tyres and chanted angrily against government neglect. Rather than engaging with residents or the victims' families, the authorities dispatched hundreds of security vehicles. Security forces used tear gas to disperse gatherings, including mourners paying tribute to their loved ones. Many were injured, with several transferred to nearby hospitals. Electricity was cut, telecommunications were restricted, and reporters were assaulted and prevented from covering the events. More than a day passed without any official acknowledgement of the tragedy or the mounting public outrage. When President Kais Saied finally gave a televised speech, he offered no sympathy - only astonishment that "the wall had withstood seismic tremors" in the past, while "fate had willed that it collapse at this time". New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Instead of taking responsibility, he ordered the arrest of the school principal who had warned the authorities months earlier about the wall's deteriorating condition. No accountability Protests continued both in Mezzouna and in the capital, Tunis, where demonstrators were blocked from reaching the Ministry of the Interior. Despite dismantling all democratic safeguards, bending the judiciary to his will and jailing his critics, the paradise Saied promised has never materialised After days of blaming "provocateurs", "traitors" and fate, Saied visited the grief-stricken town at 4am (3am GMT), when few residents were present. Somehow, a few carefully selected individuals appeared to thank him and chant his praises. He again blamed "traitors" for the town's failing public services and claimed that "troublemakers" had been sent to provoke the security forces. Popular anger and widespread protests came after nearly four years of repression and zero accountability under Saied, who now controls all power. Protesters know that no minister, governor or representative holds real authority under the one-man regime he has built. Saied appoints and dismisses prime ministers and ministers at will and has severely repressed political parties, civil society and trade unions. Since he seized power in a coup in July 2021, he has blamed everyone but himself for the country's decline - the "dark decade" of democracy, corrupt businessmen, opposition politicians, foreign agents and a rotating cast of scapegoats. But this tactic is losing its effect. He may now be forced to face a population that once believed his populist promises. Despite dismantling all democratic safeguards, bending the judiciary to his will and jailing his critics, the paradise he promised has never materialised. Tunisians burn tyres and block a road in Mezzouna, Sidi Bouzi, on 15 April 2025, during a protest demanding justice after a school wall collapse killed three students (Saber Sboui/AFP) Instead, his dictatorship has only exacerbated the country's problems, with inflation and poverty reaching unprecedented levels. Yet, Saied's response to this growing realisation has been to double down on his populist narrative of blaming traitors and conspirators, while further relying on security forces and subservient sections of the judiciary to repress any criticism or challenge to his disastrous rule. Sham justice Last week's sham verdicts against 40 opponents for "conspiring against state security" have further illustrated the regime's desperation. Over 40 defendants were sentenced, many after spending over two years in pre-trial detention. My sister, an academic who has never been politically active nor had any contact with the other defendants, found herself added to the list and sentenced to 33 years in prison. The sole evidence presented by the state prosecution for the alleged "conspiracy against state security" consisted of WhatsApp messages and meetings with foreign journalists and diplomats. How Kais Saied's tyranny went from tragedy to farce Read More » With no trial in sight after years in detention, some of the defendants began a hunger strike, including Jaouhar Ben Mbarek, a leading member of the National Salvation Front, and Ennahda MP Said Ferjani. Sentences were handed down less than a minute after the hearing began, ranging from four to 66 years. Defendants were barred from attending their own trial, while journalists, observers and family members were turned away from the courtroom. Defence lawyers denounced the absurd conditions and blatant violations of legal procedure. To add a foreign twist to the plot, French philosopher Bernard-Henri Levy was included among the defendants and also sentenced to 33 years in prison. The lightest sentence - four years - was given to a man who had merely parked his car outside the home of opposition figure Khayam Turki, a person he had never met. Turki, a social-democrat politician, received the harshest sentence: 66 years. His crime? Organising meetings with other opposition figures to discuss how to unite their ranks and find a way out of Tunisia's political crisis after Saied's coup. Two days later, Ahmed Souab, a prominent former judge and member of the defence team, was arrested at his home for statements he made in court. Around 100 other opposition figures, journalists, activists and civil servants have also been charged under vague accusations in dozens of other cases. Among them is former Prime Minister Ali Larayedh, who has been held in pre-trial detention since December 2022. My father, Rached Ghannouchi, faces charges in more than a dozen separate legal cases. At the age of 83, he has already been sentenced to a total of 27 years in sham trials he refused to attend - fully aware that judicial decisions are pre-determined under Saied's orders. A country unravelling Saied appears to have no solution for the country's soaring debt, rising unemployment and rampant inflation. Many Tunisians are struggling to afford basic necessities, while the government itself faces unprecedented food shortages, power outages and water cuts. Under the current regime, Tunisia has recorded its lowest economic growth in a decade - apart from the first pandemic year of 2020 - amid dwindling external funding and rising domestic borrowing. As my father wrote from prison: 'The only solution lies in responsible freedom, inclusive justice and democracy based on equal rights for all' Economic collapse and political repression have deepened public despair, fuelling a brain drain that increased by 28 percent last year, as thousands of Tunisians leave in search of safety and dignity elsewhere. Yet, while European governments express concern over Saied's 2021 coup, they continue to back him despite his failure to address the very crises he exploited to justify his power grab. As my father wrote from prison on the second anniversary of his unjust detention: "The only solution lies in responsible freedom, inclusive justice, and democracy based on equal rights for all." The question now is whether Saied's indiscriminate repression will prompt the opposition to overcome their differences and political calculations to unite their ranks to restore democracy and bring Tunisia back from the brink of disaster. The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Eye.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tunisia jails ex-prime minister on terrorism charges
A court in Tunisia has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on a raft of terrorism charges. He is the latest high-profile critic of the president to be jailed as campaigners slam "sham trials" in the country. The 69-year-old is a prominent opponent of President Kais Saied and leader of the popular Ennadha party - the biggest in parliament - which promotes Islamist ideals. Along with seven other people, Laarayedh was charged with setting up a terrorist cell and helping young Tunisians travel abroad to join Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria. "I am not a criminal... I am a victim in this case," he wrote in a letter to the court's prosecutor last month, according to the AFP news agency. He was sentenced on Friday. Laarayedh has consistently denied any wrongdoing and said the case was politically motivated. In recent weeks, at least 40 critics of Tunisia's president have been sent to prison - including diplomats, lawyers and journalists. Rights groups say these trials have highlighted Saied's authoritarian control over the judiciary, after dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by decree. Since he was first elected six years ago, the former law professor has rewritten the constitution to enhance his powers. Laarayedh was arrested three years ago and campaigners had called for his release -including Human Rights Watch, who said the affair seemed like "one more example of President Saied's authorities trying to silence leaders of the Ennahda party and other opponents by tarring them as terrorists". Ennahdha governed the North African nation for a short while after a popular uprising dubbed the Arab Spring. The protest movement originated in Tunisia - where a vegetable-seller called Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself in despair of government corruption - and mass demonstrations soon spread across the wider region in 2011. However many Tunisians say the democratic gains made have since been lost, pointing to the current president's authoritarian grip on power. Yet President Saied has rejected criticism from inside and outside the country, saying he is fighting "traitors" and suffering "blatant foreign interference". Tunisia's president - saviour or usurper of power? Pink flamingos 'seized from smugglers' in Tunisia 'My black skin says I don't belong in Tunisia' The fisherman who found a dead baby in his net Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tunisia jails ex-prime minister on terrorism charges
A court in Tunisia has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on a raft of terrorism charges. He is the latest high-profile critic of the president to be jailed as campaigners slam "sham trials" in the country. The 69-year-old is a prominent critic of President Kais Saied and leader of the popular Ennadha party - the biggest in parliament - which promotes Islamist ideals. Along with seven other people, Laarayedh was charged with setting up a terrorist cell and helping young Tunisians travel abroad to join Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria. "I am not a criminal... I am a victim in this case," he wrote in a letter to the court's prosecutor last month, according to the AFP news agency. He was sentenced on Friday. Laarayedh has consistently denied any wrongdoing and said the case was politically motivated. In recent weeks, at least 40 critics of Tunisia's president have been sent to prison - including diplomats, lawyers and journalists. Rights groups say these trials have highlighted Saied's authoritarian control over the judiciary, after dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by decree. Since he was first elected six years ago, the former law professor has rewritten the constitution to enhance his powers. Laarayedh was arrested three years ago and campaigners had called for his release -including Human Rights Watch, who said the affair seemed like "one more example of President Saied's authorities trying to silence leaders of the Ennahda party and other opponents by tarring them as terrorists". Ennahdha governed the North African nation for a short while after a popular uprising dubbed the Arab Spring. The protest movement originated in Tunisia - where a vegetable-seller called Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself in despair of government corruption - and mass demonstrations soon spread across the wider region in 2011. However many Tunisians say the democratic gains made have since been lost, pointing to the current president's authoritarian grip on power. Yet President Saied has rejected criticism from inside and outside the country, saying he is fighting "traitors" and suffering "blatant foreign interference". Tunisia's president - saviour or usurper of power? Pink flamingos 'seized from smugglers' in Tunisia 'My black skin says I don't belong in Tunisia' The fisherman who found a dead baby in his net Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
BBC News
03-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Ali Laarayedh: Tunisia jails ex-prime minister on terrorism charges
A court in Tunisia has sentenced former Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh to 34 years in prison on a raft of terrorism is the latest high-profile critic of the president to be jailed as campaigners slam "sham trials" in the 69-year-old is a prominent critic of President Kais Saied and leader of the popular Ennadha party - the biggest in parliament - which promotes Islamist with seven other people, Laarayedh was charged with setting up a terrorist cell and helping young Tunisians travel abroad to join Islamist fighters in Iraq and Syria. "I am not a criminal... I am a victim in this case," he wrote in a letter to the court's prosecutor last month, according to the AFP news was sentenced on has consistently denied any wrongdoing and said the case was politically recent weeks, at least 40 critics of Tunisia's president have been sent to prison - including diplomats, lawyers and groups say these trials have highlighted Saied's authoritarian control over the judiciary, after dissolving parliament in 2021 and ruling by he was first elected six years ago, the former law professor has rewritten the constitution to enhance his was arrested three years ago and campaigners had called for his release -including Human Rights Watch, who said the affair seemed like "one more example of President Saied's authorities trying to silence leaders of the Ennahda party and other opponents by tarring them as terrorists".Ennahdha governed the North African nation for a short while after a popular uprising dubbed the Arab Spring. The protest movement originated in Tunisia - where a vegetable-seller called Mohamed Bouazizi set fire to himself in despair of government corruption - and mass demonstrations soon spread across the wider region in many Tunisians say the democratic gains made have since been lost, pointing to the current president's authoritarian grip on President Saied has rejected criticism from inside and outside the country, saying he is fighting "traitors" and suffering "blatant foreign interference". More BBC stories about Tunisia: Tunisia's president - saviour or usurper of power?Pink flamingos 'seized from smugglers' in Tunisia'My black skin says I don't belong in Tunisia'The fisherman who found a dead baby in his net Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
