Governor of Tunisia’s restive Tataouine region resigns

By Adel al-Thabeti

TUNIS (AA) - The governor of Tunisia’s southern Tataouine province, which in recent weeks has been rocked by escalating popular demonstrations, abruptly announced his resignation on Wednesday.

“I have just tendered my resignation to the prime minister due to personal and private reasons,” Mohamed Ali al-Barhoumi said in a brief statement on his Facebook page.

Repeated attempts by Anadolu Agency to reach al-Barhoumi for additional comment were unsuccessful.

After visiting Tataouine in April, Prime Minister Yusuf al-Shahid appointed al-Barhoumi as governor of the restive province in hopes that he might be able to stem the rising tide of popular protests by disaffected local youth.

Recent months have seen hundreds of young Tunisians stage several sit-in protests near the country’s southern oilfields to demand more job opportunities and stepped-up local development.

On Monday, security forces forcefully dispersed yet another protest in Tataouine, reportedly killing one young demonstrator -- identified as Anwar al-Sakrafi -- and injuring several others.

In a notable escalation earlier this month, President Beji Caid Essebsi ordered the Tunisian armed forces to take steps to protect the country’s phosphate mines and oilfields from protesters, who, he warned, could disrupt production.