Thousands Protest against Tunisian President on Sunday

Tunisia's President Kais Saied gives a statement on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination, during a European Union - African Union summit, in Brussels, Belgium February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool
Tunisia's President Kais Saied gives a statement on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination, during a European Union - African Union summit, in Brussels, Belgium February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool
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Thousands Protest against Tunisian President on Sunday

Tunisia's President Kais Saied gives a statement on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination, during a European Union - African Union summit, in Brussels, Belgium February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool
Tunisia's President Kais Saied gives a statement on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination, during a European Union - African Union summit, in Brussels, Belgium February 18, 2022. REUTERS/Johanna Geron/Pool

Thousands of supporters of the Free Constitutional Party protested on Sunday against President Kais Saied for his march towards one-man rule and failure to avert an economic crisis.

The protest is the biggest by the party since Saied seized executive power last summer, according to Reuters.

"Saied you are going the wrong way... your plans are catastrophic for the country," said Karima Jouini, 44, a teacher attending the march in central Tunis that was led by Moussi.

The most vocal opposition to Saied has come from the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, the largest in the suspended parliament and a key player in successive governments since the revolution.

Moussi and her Free Constitutional party are bitterly opposed to Ennahda, casting it as the cause of Tunisia's main problems over the past decade and she has not criticized any of Saied's moves targeting Islamists.

However, while Saied has focused almost entirely on reconstructing the political system and purging his opponents, he has done very little to address Tunisia's economic problems.

"Rest assured, we will not let them dismantle the state and continue with individual rule," Moussi said, addressing the protest.

"If we remain silent, we will become a country whose food is sent to it in planes, like the poorest countries in the world," she added.

The country faces a crisis in public finances for which it has embarked on talks for a rescue package with the International Monetary Fund, but Tunisians already face shortages of staple goods including flour, semolina and sugar.

"Saied kidnapped the country just to impose his own project, but he has led it to famine," said another protester who gave his name as Imed.



UNIFIL Urges Timely Israeli Pullout from South Lebanon under Month-Old Truce Deal

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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UNIFIL Urges Timely Israeli Pullout from South Lebanon under Month-Old Truce Deal

Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Armored vehicles of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) patrol in the town of Khiam in southern Lebanon on December 23, 2024, under a delicate ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) called on Thursday for a timely Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon, citing what it called Israeli violations of a Nov. 27 ceasefire agreement with Iran-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a US-brokered 60-day ceasefire that calls for a phased Israeli military pullout after more than a year of war, in keeping with a 2006 UN Security Council resolution that ended their last major conflict.

Under the agreement, Hezbollah fighters must leave positions in south Lebanon and move north of the Litani River, which runs about 20 miles (30 km) north of the border with Israel, along with a full Israeli withdrawal from the south.

In a statement, UNIFIL voiced concern over what it said was continued destruction by Israeli forces of residential areas, farmland and infrastructure in south Lebanon, deeming this a violation of UN Resolution 1701.

"UNIFIL continues to urge the timely withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces and the deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces (in place of Hezbollah) in southern Lebanon, alongside the full implementation of Resolution 1701 as a comprehensive path toward peace," the statement said.

The Israeli military said it was looking into UNIFIL's criticism and declined further comment for the time being.

Under the terms of its truce with Hezbollah, Israeli forces can take up to 60 days to withdraw from south Lebanon but neither side can launch offensive operations.

Lebanon's army said it was following up with UNIFIL and the committee supervising the agreement regarding what it said was a deepened incursion of Israeli forces into some areas of southern Lebanese areas.

UNIFIL reiterated readiness to monitor the area south of the Litani River to ensure it remains free of armed personnel and weapons, except those of Lebanon's government and UNIFIL.

The ceasefire marked the end of the deadliest confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah since their six-week war in 2006. However, Israel has continued military operations against Palestinian fighters in Gaza.