Tunisia - Unrest in southern tunisian border town of Ben Guardane

Yesterday night the youth of Ben Guardane unexpectedly went out in the streets blocking all the towns accesses (from the east to the direction of libyan border, to the south to the direction to Tataouine southern region and to the north to the direction of Medenine and Zarzis towns) they set on fire wires and wheels car. Today they have announced a general strike in town…

The small town just at 10 km from libyan borer and the main access to the neighbour country is one of the poorest of Tunisia, its population has always lived day by day through inter-border trade and blank market. When the war broke out in Libya in 2012 this trade suffered a set back, in 2016 tunisian men affiliated to Daech coming from Libya attacked the town triyng to conquer it and establish a Caliphate but the heroic people of Ben Guardane counter attacked with any means like stones as the armed forces from the State intervened.

Few days after the prime minister at that time, Chahed, went to Ben Guardane promising a bright future for their people by starting economic investments and opening an industrial zone and so on. After almost 5 years from that visit and after 64 years from indipendence all the promises are still empty and the people of Ben Guardane sill face poverty and underdevelopment.

The town lays next to the region of Tataoine where in the last days a gouvernment delegations went to fill up the demands of the El Kamour struggle comittee that since ta last 16th of July blocked the oil and gas production, In this case too empty promises are yet to be fulfilled.

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Tataouine region is exploited since decades by western oil company like Eni, Total, OMV, British

Petroleum and so on, being one of the poorest region in the country with a lot of young people trying to go abroad risking their lives in the small boat heading to Italy.

El KAmour struggle committee signed in 2017 an agreement with Chahed governement where the main points were the employ for 1.500 youth from the regions in the oil companies and a 80 million dt (25 million €) investment in the region every year. After 3 years the governements didn’t respect the engagement so El Kamour struggle committee came back to radical protest blocking the production.

In both cases concerning Ben Guardane and Tataouine some journalist and bourgeoise politicians even from the “left” agitate the ghost of muslim radicalism and Daech infiltration in order to criminalize these struggles and invoking a strong repression from the State…

The same State directed by a comprador bourgeoise servant of imperialism who is the direct cause of economic and social problems to this region and that for sure will not easily repress the people and the youth on revolt!