Tunisia Under Ben Ali: A History of an Authoritarian Regime, 1987-2011

Here, Daniel Zisenwine looks at Tunisia under the rule of Ben Ali, from 1987 when he rose to power until the 2011 protests that led to his downfall.

Sparked by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid in Tunisia, a wave of protests and uprisings spread across North Africa and the Middle East in late 2010 and 2011. The case of Tunisia has since been held up as an example of a 'successful' revolution, ousting its erstwhile ruler Zayn al-'Abidin Ben Ali, leading to relatively free...