Thousands of people rallied in Tunis on Saturday in response to a call from the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) to protest against the worsening social and economic situation.
The country experiences high inflation (around 8% annually) © Mena Today
Thousands of people rallied in Tunis on Saturday in response to a call from the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) to protest against the worsening social and economic situation.
The Tunisian economy has been stagnant, with only 0.4% growth in 2023 and an unemployment rate reaching 16.4% at the end of last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics. Unemployment was at 15.2% at the end of 2022.
The country has also been shaken by political tensions since President Kais Saied seized full powers in July 2021.
Facing a severe financial crisis, Tunisia reached an agreement with the IMF for a $2 billion loan in October 2022. However, negotiations stalled when the president rejected the IMF's recommended reforms.
While the Tunisian government prioritizes debt repayment (amounting to 80% of GDP), it lacks liquidity to provide its population with sufficient basic goods, leading to recurrent shortages of flour, sugar, or rice.
The country experiences high inflation (around 8% annually) fueled by rising cereal and energy prices due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A Moroccan prosecutor said on Wednesday he had ordered the release of veteran journalist and political commentator Ali Lmrabet after questioning him, although an investigation continues following allegations of defamation and libel.
G7 foreign ministers and the European Union's foreign policy chief on Wednesday urged Sudan's Rapid Support Forces and allied armed groups to stop all actions that could lead to further atrocities or endanger civilians in El-Obeid.
The Sudanese army has conditioned any broad acceptance of a U.S. proposal for ending the country's three-year-old civil war on the full withdrawal by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces from cities it has occupied, according to documents seen by Reuters.
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