Tunisia returns to calm in the South after the release of a protest leader

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The release of the spokesman for the protest movement, Tarek Haddad, arrested on Sunday, has eased the tension in southern Tunisia, which has been plagued for several weeks by an angry movement from young people who feel left behind. His return was celebrated by a cheering crowd who saw him as the voice of social demands in the region.

Publicity

With our special envoy to Tataouine, Michel Picard

Thousands of inhabitants have come to welcome Tarek Haddad, the child of the country who carries the fights of young people in this city where unemployment reaches 30%.

In the street, the testimonies are unanimous. "  He is one of us, he carries our demands  "; "  It is a joy  "; "  It's like a celebration of his return, he's been well known for three years  ."

Three months of protest in 2017

In 2017, it spearheaded a sit-in organized by unemployed young people in front of the El-Kamour oil production site in the Tunisian desert. Three months of protest that had prompted the government of the time to engage in a policy of local funding and more than 4,000 hires.

These broken promises led to a second wave of the movement , still carried by an offensive Tarek Haddad: "  Access to drinking water for all, public investments, work for the unemployed, improvement of the education system, health ...  ". The list he made is long with this slogan always turned towards the future: "  Tataouine never behind, Tataouine never behind.  "

An exceptional Council of Ministers is to examine this Friday 26 June on ways to improve the economic and social situation of the region.

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