World News Today: Tunisian politicians 'detained'

Monday, January 24, 2011

Tunisian politicians 'detained'

Former President Senate Abdallah Qallal. Photo: 15 January 2011

Abdallah Qallal was a key ally of ex-President Ben Ali

Tunisian police have detained two politicians close to ousted President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, state media report.

Mr Ben Ali's former adviser Abdelaziz bin Dhia and former Interior Minister and head of Senate Abdallah Qallal were now under house arrest, they said.

The news came as a new protest march against the interim government reached the capital Tunis.

Protesters want the prime minister, who served under Mr Ben Ali, to resign.

PM Mohamed Ghannouchi has pledged to quit after elections, which are expected within six months.

Tunisia's state media announced the arrests of the two political allies of the former president on Sunday, without providing further details.

A woman gesticulates during a demonstration calling for the interim government to quit in central Tunis, 22 January 2011

Protesters have not been satisfied by the prime minister's pledge to quit after elections

The media also said that the police were searching for Abdelwahhab Abdalla - another former adviser to Mr Ben Ali.

Last week, some 33 members of Mr Ben Ali's were arrested as they tried to leave the country.

State TV showed what it said was gold and jewellery found during raids on the their properties.

It is not known which family members of Mr Ben Ali - who has fled to Saudi Arabia - have been held.

On Sunday, a new protest march reached Tunis.

Some 1,000 demonstrators from Menzel Bouzaiane - the rural area where protests against Tunisia's authoritarian rule began in December - had joined the "Caravan of Liberation" to the capital.

The main trade union, the General Tunisian Workers' Union (UGTT), has backed the protest, which set off on Saturday.

"The aim of this caravan is to make the government fall," said Rabia Slimane, a teacher taking part in the caravan protest.

Fall from power17 Dec: Man sets himself on fire in Sidi Bouzid over lack of jobs, sparking protests24 Dec: Protester shot dead in central Tunisia28 Dec: Protests spread to Tunis8-10 Jan: Dozens of deaths reported in crackdown on protests12 Jan: Interior minister sacked13 Jan: President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali promises to step down in 201414 Jan: Mr Ben Ali dissolves parliament after new mass rally, then steps down and flees15 Jan: Parliamentary Speaker Foued Mebazaa sworn in as interim president

Mr Ghannouchi has left Mr Ben Ali's ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) party and insisted that figures from the previous regime who have remained in positions of power - including the ministers of defence, interior, finance and foreign affairs - have "clean hands".

But this has failed to satisfy many opposition figures and protesters.

On Saturday, policemen - who had defended the regime of the ousted president - were among those protesting, which the BBC's Magdi Abdelhadi in the Tunisian capital says marked a very dramatic development.

The official death toll during the unrest leading to Mr Ben Ali's flight was 78, though the UN says more than 100 people died. Authorities have promised to investigate the deaths of protesters.

A final day of mourning is being observed on Sunday for those killed.

There is speculation that the Tunisian unrest - which has been driven by economic grievances and resentment about political repression - could spread to other countries.

In Algeria, police broke up an anti-government demonstration on Saturday by about 300 protesters calling for greater freedoms. There were also protests in Yemen against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

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