LaNUBlog™

Home of the ancient city of Carthage, Tunisia was once an important player in the Mediterranean, placed as it is in the centre of North Africa, close to vital shipping routes. In their time, the Romans, Arabs, Ottoman Turks and French realised its strategic significance, making it a hub for control over the region. French colonial rule ended in 1956, and Tunisia was led for three decades by Habib Bourguiba, who advanced secular ideas. These included emancipation for women - women's rights in Tunisia are among the most advanced in the Arab world - the abolition of polygamy and compulsory free education. Mr Bourguiba insisted on an anti-Islamic fundamentalist line, while increasing his own powers to become a virtual dictator. At a glance *. Politics: Tunisia has been in transition since President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in January 2011 at the start of the Arab Spring. In October 2011 the moderate Islamist Ennahda party won 90 seats in the 217-member Constituent Assem...

Angry members of Tunisia's security forces have driven President Moncef Marzouki and Prime Minister Ali Larayedh from a memorial ceremony for two policeman killed by militants. Protesters, some in uniform, shouted "go away" at the leaders during the ceremony at a Tunis military barracks. The leaders left after being jeered, without making any speeches. The BBC's Sihem Hassaini in Tunis says security forces are angry, feeling they lack the resources to combat jihadists. They have been battling militant forces in the remote Mount Chaambi region, along the Algerian border. We are all against terrorism. This is a war, and we will not give up Lotfi Ben Jeddou, Interior Minister The ceremony on Friday was for two men killed on Thursday by an armed group in the Beja region, 70km (40 miles) west of the capital Tunis. Many of the demonstrators carried placards demanding laws to protect the police. "We will not accept the presence of politicians," shouted one...

Angry members of Tunisia's security forces have driven President Moncef Marzouki and Prime Minister Ali Larayedh from a memorial ceremony for two policeman killed by militants. Protesters, some in uniform, shouted "go away" at the leaders during the ceremony at a Tunis military barracks. The leaders left after being jeered, without making any speeches. The BBC's Sihem Hassaini in Tunis says security forces are angry, feeling they lack the resources to combat jihadists. They have been battling militant forces in the remote Mount Chaambi region, along the Algerian border. We are all against terrorism. This is a war, and we will not give up Lotfi Ben Jeddou, Interior Minister The ceremony on Friday was for two men killed on Thursday by an armed group in the Beja region, 70km (40 miles) west of the capital Tunis. Many of the demonstrators carried placards demanding laws to protect the police. "We will not accept the presence of politicians," shouted one...

Tunisian security forces have killed at least nine suspected Islamist militants who are blamed for a deadly attack on a police patrol, officials say. They say at least three other suspects were arrested in the operation in the Mount Taouyer area, about 70km (44 miles) west of the capital, Tunis. Two policemen died when they were attacked in the area on Thursday. Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said the militants belonged to the Salafist Ansar al-Sharia group. The group has been declared a terrorist organisation by the government and the interior ministry spokesman told reporters on Saturday that the three-day operation "has been a success". About two tonnes of materials used to make explosives were also seized. The killing of the two police officers led to an angry response from security forces when Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh and other senior officials attended a memorial service for the men on Friday. The leaders were...

Tunis - Tunisia's ruling Islamist-led government on Saturday launched talks with the opposition aimed at implementing a roadmap to end a two-month political crisis. The roadmap, drafted by mediators including the powerful UGTT trade union, calls for a one-month national dialogue to form a government of independents to replace a coalition led by the Ennahda movement. Here are the main features of the roadmap:A new government by end of October At Saturday's launch of the hard-won national dialogue, Ennahda agreed to stand down at the end of October by signing the roadmap. The talks begin in earnest next week during which the two camps must agree on the name of an independent prime minister. The negotiators must form a non-partisan government within two weeks after which the Ennahda coalition line-up will formally step down. The roadmap also calls for the adoption by the elected National Constituent Assembly (NCA) of a law that will drastically limit the possibility of censo...

Tunisia's Islamist-led government has agreed to resign after talks with opponents that are to start next week. It is hoped a caretaker government will be negotiated over the next three weeks that will prepare for new elections. The decision marks a breakthrough in weeks of crisis involving the ruling coalition, led by the Islamist Ennahda party, and the secular opposition. Anti-government protests intensified recently after the killing of two opposition figures. The crisis has threatened to disrupt a transition to democracy that began after Tunisians threw out their decades-old authoritarian government at the beginning of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings. The talks were announced on Saturday by the powerful UGTT labour union, which will act as a mediator. The union urged both sides to set a date for next week. Under the deal, the Ennahda party has agreed to three weeks of talks, after which it will hand power to an independent transition leadership and set a date for parliamen...