This week it is ten years since the deposed strongman Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali fled Tunisia, the first leader to fall when the Arab Spring of 2011 seized all of North Africa and the Middle East. A decade later, Tunisia is the only country that has transformed into a relatively stable democracy. But high unemployment is still a major problem, not least in the Tataouine region. Jowhargives you the first in a series of four reports from the country, a decade after the watershed of the Arab spring.
Today, national unemployment in Tunisia is almost 15 percent, while in some regions, which hit Tataouine hard in the south, almost 30 percent are unemployed, despite boasting land rich in natural resources.
The name Tataouine is known around the world to Star Wars fans and served as a location for filming science fiction series, but the current Covid-19 restrictions around the world have deprived the region of another valuable resource when tourists are kept. on bay.
FRANCE 24’s Karim Yahiaoui and Mohamed Farhat traveled to Tataouine and submitted this report with the opinion of Alexander Aucott. To watch, click on the video player above.
