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Tag: Tunisia

  • 1 police officer died in suicide bombing near U.S. embassy

    1 police officer died in suicide bombing near U.S. embassy

    A police officer was killed on Friday, when two suicide bombers blew themselves up near the U.S. Embassy in Tunis, the Interior Ministry said.

    According to the ministry the two men targeted a security post across the street from the embassy. However, four other policemen and one civilian were injured in the explosion.

    Judiciary spokesperson Sufian al-Sulaiti, said the four injured security personnel were in a stable condition.
    Al-Sulaiti added that a woman who was driving her car in the area was also slightly injured.

    “The two terrorists used a large quantity of explosives and the motorcycle they were riding was also booby-trapped.

    “The police are still trying to identify the attackers,”al-Sulaiti said.

    However, shortly after witnesses reported the incidence, the U.S. embassy said that emergency personnel were responding to the explosion and urged the people to avoid the area.

    The U.S. embassy building is in the Tunisian capital’s Berges du Lac neighbourhood, where several embassies and businesses are located.

    According to witnesses, security vehicles and personnel have surrounded the embassy area.

    No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

    In recent time, Tunisia has witnessed a string of militant attacks, most of them claimed by the Islamic State extremist group.

    In June, two back-to-back suicide attacks killed one police officer and injured eight people in the centre of Tunis.

    In March 2015, 21 tourists and a police officer were killed when gunmen attacked the Bardo Museum in Tunis.

    Three months later, 38 tourists, mostly Britons, were killed in an attack at a hotel in the coastal city of Sousse.

    In October, Tunisia elected Former law prof. Kais Saied, as its second democratically elected President since the Tunisian Revolution kicked off the Arab Spring revolts of 2010-2011.

    In the past nine years, social unrest, militant attacks and an economic slowdown have afflicted the country on its fledgling democratic path.

  • Two more African countries confirm first Coronavirus cases

    Two more African countries confirm first Coronavirus cases

    Two African countries, Senegal and Tunisia have confirmed cases of the deadly Coronavirus.

    Senegal’s Health Minister, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, said on Monday that the country has confirmed its first case of coronavirus.

    The patient is a French man who lives in Senegal and flew back from France on 26 February, Mr Sarr told a press conference in the capital, Dakar.

    The patient reported to a private hospital on 27 February with symptoms, including a headache.

    The authorities are monitoring everyone who travelled on the same flight as well as the patient’s family.

    The minister said the country was prepared to deal with the virus, pointing out that Senegal had the facilities to test for the coronavirus.

    This is the second case in sub-Saharan Africa after one was confirmed in Nigeria last week, BBC reports.

    Also, Tunisia confirmed its first case of the new coronavirus, the country’s health minister told journalists on Monday.

    Abdelatif el-Maki said the patient was a 40-year-old Tunisian man, who arrived in the country by boat from Italy on 27 February.

    He and the other passengers had been advised to monitor themselves. When his fever spiked, he contacted emergency services.

    In Africa, Tunisia, Algeria, Egypt, Senrgal and Nigeria have all confirmed cases of the virus.

  • French tourist stabbed to death in Tunisia

    French tourist stabbed to death in Tunisia

    The Tunisian Interior Ministry said on Monday that a French tourist was stabbed to death by a religious extremist in Tunisia’s northernmost province of Bizerte.

    The ministry spokesman, Khaled Hayouni, said that the Security Authorities recognised the incidence as a public law case, adding that all efforts were being made to identify the context of the incident.

    The Regional Health Director in Bizerte, told the private radio Mosaique FM that the tourist died due to injuries he sustained on getting to the hospital.

    However, preliminary investigation had identified the assailant as a 28-year-old man who wounded a soldier with a sharp blade before escaping and stabbing the tourist in his face and chest.

    This is the second stabbing attack in Bizerte in less than a month.

  • Tunisia bids farewell to president Essebsi at funeral

    Tunisia on Saturday bid farewell to its late President, Beji Caid Essebsi, who passed away on Thursday morning at the age of 92.
    The body of late President Essebsi will be buried in Al-Zallag cemetery in the Tunisian capital.
    The burial will be in a procession that will take place from the presidential palace in Carthage with the participation of heads of state and government from 23 Arab and other foreign countries.
    The Tunisian Interior Ministry said that extraordinary measures had been taken to secure the funeral for Essebsi.
    Essebsi was born on Nov. 29, 1926, in Sidi Bou Said in the northern suburbs of the capital.
    He studied law in Paris until 1950; two years later, he became a lawyer in his home country.
    first involvement in politics dates back to 1941 when he joined the Neo Destour party, a Tunisian political party that was founded by a group of Tunisian nationalist politicians during the French colonisation.
    Following the country’s independence from France in 1956, he began to exercise high political responsibilities.
    He took over the Tunisian presidency after winning the 2014 elections.

  • Tunisia’s parliament speaker sworn in as interim president

    Tunisia’s parliamentary speaker, Mohamed Ennaceur, has been sworn in as the country’s interim president, the official Tunisian news agency TAP reported.
    The appointment of the interim president comes just hours after the death of president Beji Caid Essebsi
    Ennaceur took the oath of office at the assembly in the capital Tunis, the agency said.
    According to the Tunisian constitution, the head of the parliament can temporarily serve as president for a maximum period of 90 days.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that following Ennaceur’s statement on national television, the country’s ministry of interior said that Tunisia’s security situation is stable and that the ministry is carrying out its national duty.

    The country will hold presidential elections ahead of the previously scheduled Nov. 17 date.

  • Alleged VAR/Ref Injustice: Tunisia to boycott AFCON 2021 Draw

    Still angered by what it called VAR/Referee induced injustice, Nigeria’s third place opponents Tunisia have announced they will boycott draw for the 2021 AfCON billed for Aida Ballroom Cairo Marriott Hotel on Thursday.
    This decision according to Tunisian authorities is in protest against the penalty not awarded to the national team during the end of extra time in the semi-final against Senegal.
    Some Tunisians are however not in support of the boycott preferring instead that they put up appearance and properly register their disdain for the decision. Meanwhile Egyptian referee Jihad Jericha has been appointed to take charge in the third place match billed Wednesday at the Al Salam Stadium.
    Jericha according to CAF will be assisted by compatriots Mahmoud Ahmed Kamel and Chadian Issa Yaya and also by Joshua Bondo from Botswana.
    Both Nigeria and Tunisia are singing lamentation songs after failing in their bid to qualify for Friday’s final with Nigeria losing to Algeria while Tunisia lost to Senegal in the semifinals.
    After failing to get a place in the final, both teams are desperate to at least take something home from Cairo, an indication that the third place match which has been described as ‘small final’ will be full of fireworks.
    Nigeria last won the third place in 2010 in Angola defeating Algeria by a lone goal, while Tunisia won the third place in 1962 beating Ugandan 3-0.

  • Senegal beat Tunisia to book AFCON final ticket

    Senegal and Sadio Mane are through to the African Cup of Nations final after beating Tunisia 1-0 in an extra-time thriller on Sunday.

     
    In a game of high drama, both teams missed penalties within a few minutes of each other in regulation time at the 30 June Stadium in Cairo.
    Tunisia was then given another penalty late in extra time only for referee Bamlak Tessema Weyesa to check the VAR TV screen on the sidelines and dramatically reverse his decision — to the dismay of the Tunisians.

    Senegal and Sadio Mane will play for a first African Cup title on Friday. Nigeria faces Algeria in the other semifinal.
    Tunisia should have gone ahead after winning the first penalty in the 73rd, when Ferjani Sassi’s shot hit the upper arm of Senegal defender Kalidou Koulibaly as he threw himself in the way to block it.
    Sassi took the penalty himself but it was weak and Senegal goalkeeper Alfred Gomis saved easily.
    Senegal had its chance almost straight after, with Ismaila Sarr hacked down by Bronn in the area.
    Henri Saivet took the spot-kick instead of Mane, who missed two penalties earlier in the tournament.
    Saivet’s penalty was low and hard to the bottom right corner, but Hassen dived full-stretch and brilliantly deflected it away with his left hand.
    Hassen was responsible for giving away the game-deciding goal, though, and deciding Tunisia’s fate.
    In extra time, he went to punch away a free kick swung over from the right wing, but only forced it onto Bronn’s head and it rebounded into the net.
    The most contentious moment of a scintillating game came right near the end after Senegal’s Idrissa Gueye was initially penalized for another handball in the area. The ball was headed down by a teammate and struck Gueye’s hand as he tried to pull it away at the side of his body.
    Ethiopian referee Weyesa awarded the penalty, then decided to make the long run over to the sidelines to check with the VAR video review system, which is being used at the African Cup for the first time.
    After a tense delay, he ran back onto the field waving his arms to signal no penalty.
    Senegal has never won the African Cup and has made just one final, in 2002 when the team also reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup. Current Senegal coach Aliou Cisse was a member of the 2002 team and he dropped to his knees with arms held aloft in celebration at the final whistle.

  • Tunisia end Madagascar’s 2019 AFCON dream

    Tunisia ended Madagascar’s remarkable Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) run when they beat the rank outsiders 3-0 in their quarter-final on Thursday.
    Interestingly, Tunisia notched their first win of the tournament in the process.
    Madagascar, a country with little football tradition and who had not been expected to progress beyond the group stage on their first appearance at the finals, held out until the second half.
    They were first undone by Ferjani Sassi’s deflected shot.
    Youssef Msakni added a second on the hour for the Carthage Eagles, ranked 25th in the world against Madagascar’s 107th.
    And substitute Naim Sliti finished it off on the break in stoppage time to earn them a semi-final against Senegal on Sunday.
    Tunisia had drawn their previous four matches at the tournament, beating Ghana on penalties in the last 16.

  • 2019 AFCON: Tunisia beat Ghana on penalties to reach quarter-finals

    Tunisia beat Ghana on penalties to set up an Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final with Madagascar.

    Goalkeeper Farouk Ben Mustapha was the hero, coming on for the shootout and saving Caleb Ekuban’s penalty.
    Tunisia had been seconds away from winning in 90 minutes, but substitute Rami Bedoui headed into his own net in injury time, with his first touch.
    They had led in Ismailia through Taha Yassine Khenissi’s goal from Wajdi Kechrida’s cross.
    Leeds striker Ekuban was the only player to fail with his kick in the shootout, with Ferjani Sassi scoring the winning kick.
    Tunisia now face Madagascar, ranked 108th in the world, on Thursday, despite not having won a game in 90 minutes. The Eagles of Carthage drew all three group games before their penalty shootout win over Ghana.
    The Black Stars dominated the opening stages of the game, and Nuhu Kasim’s header hit the outside of the post.
    They had a first-half goal controversially disallowed. Thomas Partey fed Jordan Ayew, who crossed for his brother Andre to score a backheel.
    The referee ruled the goal out for a Partey handball, with VAR not coming in until the quarter-finals, but the Atletico midfielder controlled the ball with his chest.
    Tunisia took control when Wahbi Khazri, who was an injury doubt, came on in the 68th minute. Moments later his corner was headed on to the bar by Khenissi.
    The breakthrough came as Khazri backheeled the ball into the path of Kechrida, whose cross was swept home via the post by Khenissi.
    Ghana’s Mubarak Wakaso had a 30-yard shot tipped on to the post and then had a hand in the equaliser.
    Defender Bedoui came on for Khenissi in the last minute to help them see the game out – but headed Wakaso’s free-kick into his own net with his first involvement.
    Both sides had chances in extra time, but failed to take them, so the game went to penalties.
    BBC

  • Breaking: Tunisian president taken to hospital

    Breaking: Tunisian president taken to hospital

    Tunisian President, Beji Caid Essebsi, 92, was on Thursday brought to a military hospital after suffering a “severe health crisis”, the Presidency said on Thursday.

    No more details were immediately available.