VIOLENT PROTESTS IN SOUTHERN MINING REGION LEAVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000615 SIPDIS NEA/MAG (NARDI AND HARRIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS TS SUBJECT: VIOLENT PROTESTS IN SOUTHERN MINING REGION LEAVE ONE PERSON SHOT AND KILLED, SEVERAL WOUNDED REF: A. TUNIS 596 ¶B. TUNIS 394 ¶C. TUNIS 362 Classified By: DCM Marc Desjardins for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d) -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) One person was shot and killed and several others were injured in violent protests in Redeyef on June 6. Two quite different narratives have emerged about the events: the official version, put out by GOT sources in a communique, stipulates that protesters instigated the violence by throwing petrol bombs at the police. The Tunisian Justice Minister expressed "regret" for the incidents, but defended the use of force against violent protesters. Redeyef residents and their supporters counter that police fired on peaceful protesters. They deny that there were any petrol bombs, dismissing this claim as an ex post facto rationalization for excessive use of force by the security services. Moreover, they accuse the security forces of breaking into homes and businesses and looting goods. The Tunisian military was called into Redeyef on the night of June 6 to act as a buffer between the population and the security police, and the situation has reportedly calmed. While the public prosecutor of Gafsa has opened an investigation into the incidents, independent opposition and civil society groups are calling for an independent investigation, and for a national dialogue on issues of unemployment and regional development. Protests in the Gafsa mining region have been ongoing for several months, but the killing of a protester, on top of the suicide of another protester the previous week, could help transform what is fundamentally a socio-economic issue into one with potentially deeper political and security significance. End Summary. -------------- The Official Version -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Long-brewing social unrest in the mining region in the southern Governorate of Gafsa (reftels) escalated into violence on June 6. According to an official source quoted in the Tunis-Afrique Press Agency (TAP),"Acts of violence were carried out by some individuals in the region of Redeyef, governorate of Gafsa. These acts were subjected to tight police surveillance to prevent that things get out of hand" (sic). The communique went on to explain that authorities had learned that "some elements" were making molotov cocktails and planned to use them in acts of vandalism. When the security forces intervened, they were "pelted" with these incendiary devices. The communique states that the security forces issued warnings, in compliance with the law, but that the "troublemakers" refused to stand down, leading the security forces to "step in." The ensuing clashes are said to have resulted in the death of one "troublemaker." Five others were said to be wounded, in addition to three policemen. The public prosecutor of Gafsa has opened an investigation into the incidents. ¶3. (SBU) At a June 7 press conference, Justice and Human Rights Minister Bechir Tekkari expressed regret for the incident, but defended the security forces' actions to protect the population and prevent threats to public order. He denied accusations that the police had fired without warning. Rather, he said, police attacked a group of individuals after they had thrown petrol bombs at the security forces. Tekkari also denied that accusations that police had plundered buildings in Redeyef. ¶4. (SBU) Loyal opposition parties have also weighed in in support of the GOT. The Popular Unity Party (PUP),the Socialist Democratic Movement (MDS),and the Liberal Social Party (PSL) all issued communiques on June 8 in which they expressed understanding for the desire of the people of the mining region of Redeyef to improve their social conditions, while arguing that these aspirations do not justify the use of violence. The PUP took issue with the use of molotov cocktails by some individuals, expressing the view that this kind of behavior was not in keeping with Redeyef's traditions of peace. The MDS called for the rejection of all forms of violence. For its part, the PSL emphasized that the people should not violate laws, spread chaos, or threaten civil security. -------------- -------------- Alienated Protesters, Opposition Tell a Different Story -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The official narrative differs substantially from the version of events as described by the opposition. EmbOffs were initially alerted to the incidents by text messages that claimed that police had fired live ammunition into a crowd of protesters. Opposition contacts have since told us that Hafnaoui Maghdaoui was shot and killed, and at least 25 others were wounded. One man is said to be in critical condition, with two bullet wounds. Two of the demonstrators were said to have been shot from behind, an assertion that is backed up by a video reportedly filmed in Redeyef and posted on YouTube on June 9 that shows a man lying on his stomach with an apparent bullet wound in his back. (Note: See http://www.youtube.com and query results for "redeyef".) ¶6. (C) The (unauthorized) National Committee for the Support of the Population in the Mining Regions issued a communique on June 6 that laid out the sequence of events as follows: -- The incidents started with provoking actions between a group of unemployed young men and the police on the morning of June 5. -- In the afternoon of the same day, police broke into houses and shops, destroying or looting goods. -- On June 6, a general strike was announced. Some labor union leaders and citizens expressed the desire to meet with the regional authorities to protest the events of June 5. They were met with tear gas as they approached the Delegue's (district leader's) office. -- During the afternoon of June 6, police fired on demonstrators. Local residents alleged that some "suspicious individuals" acted as agents provocateurs to push the police to use stronger security measures. This version of events tracks with the understanding of al-Jazeera correspondent Lotfi Hajji, who met with EmbOffs on June 9. Based on separate conversations he had had with several eyewitnesses, Hajji asserted that there were no molotov cocktails; rather the GOT invented this story after the fact to give cover for the excessive force used by the police. Hajji also noted that, during the evening of June 6, the Tunisian military was deployed to Redeyef to act as a buffer between the local residents and the security police. This seems to have defused the situation, he said. For example, the majority of the town's residents were in the streets for the slain man's funeral on June 7. ¶7. (C) Hajji faulted the authorities for dealing with a social problem with security mechanisms. He noted that almost everyone he had spoken with from Redeyef had used the expression, "It's as if we are not in Tunisia." This expression, he surmised, encapsulates the sense of alienation that pervades this destitute area and is at odds with GOT propaganda about social and economic advancement. There is also palpable frustration, he said, that the region is not benefiting from the wealth generated by phosphate production. At-Tariq al-Jadeed, the newspaper of the former Communist party, in its June 8 issue took this theme further, posing the question: Where are the phosphate export earnings going, now that there has been a 125 percent increase in the price of phosphates on the international market between the first quarter of 2007 and the same period in 2008? The newspaper estimates that proceeds from phosphate sales this year will total between 2.2-2.4 billion dinars (US $1.54-2.06 billion), which corresponds roughly to an increase of 1 billion dinar (US $ 859 million) over last year's sales. ¶8. (SBU) Independent opposition parties and civil rights organizations echo the protesters' narrative. The National Council for Liberties in Tunisia (CNLT) released a statement on June 7 citing residents of Redeyef who charged that some members of the police had looted several small grocery shops and set a bakery on fire. The CNLT called for the lifting of the police blockade against Redeyef and the return to dialogue. The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) issued a statement on June 6 criticizing the authorities for firing on young men claiming their right to work and protesting against their living conditions. The PDP warned of continuing, and spreading unrest, unless the authorities undertake a genuine discussion at the national level on issues of unemployment and regional development: "As long as the core issues of unemployment and lack of balance among regions are not solved, the mining regions will continue to be the site of protest movements. As a reaction, the authorities will continue to use force, and the chances that the movement will spread to other regions will be greater. The country will be pushed toward an unclear future." -------------- Redeyef, Metlaoui "No-Go" Areas for EmbOff -------------- ¶9. (C) DATT sought to travel through Redeyef and Metlaoui en route to Tameghza and/or Tozeur on June 7 and 8. (See septel IIR.) DATT vehicle was stopped multiple times at checkpoints in the Gafsa governorate. Driving south of Gafsa, he was stopped by National Guards, who told him he could not continue in the direction of Redeyef, Tameghza, or Tozeur, since all roads in those directions were "under construction." He pressed for a more credible explanation and ultimately a senior security officer in plain clothes conceded that there had been "disturbances involving the civilian population" and that the area was not considered safe for foreigners. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Despite opposition calls for an independent commission of inquiry, and the posting of some amateur videos on YouTube, it is unlikely that we will ever know the precise sequence of events in Redeyef. What we do know is that a line has been crossed: on the heels of a recent suicide by a young man in the same region protesting unemployment and oppressive economic conditions (Ref A),another man has been shot and killed, reportedly from behind. Our sense is that the Tunisian population feels sympathy for the plight faced by the unemployed residents of the Gafsa mining region. What is not clear is whether they will buy the Redeyef version of events or that of the government. How these sympathies play out will no doubt influence whether what is fundamentally a socio-economic issue takes on a deeper political and security significance. We will continue to follow developments in this region and report accordingly. End Comment. Please visit Embassy Tunis' Classified Website at: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/tunis/index.c fm GODEC