Sidi Bouzid 5 years since Tunisian revolution

As Tunisia celebrates five years since the beginning of the revolution, its birthplace continues to be a symbol of the country’s hardship.

On 17 December a few hundred of Sidi Bouzid’s around 120 000 citizens, young and old, men and women, gathered by the stone sculptured vegetable stall, the symbol of Bouazizi’s act of defiance to mark the five year anniversary of the beginning of the revolution, which ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, paving the way for the country’s fairly peaceful and stable democratic transition. In front of children waving the Tunisian flag officials including Latifa Lakhdhar, minister of culture, spoke to the gathered crowd, surrounded by heavy security personnel.

But the celebrations come with a bitter aftertaste. Despite Tunisia being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its commitment to consensus and dialogue earlier this year, 2015 will be remembered for its three terrorist attacks at Bardo National Museum on 18 March, the mass shooting at a tourist resort in Sousse on 26 June and the suicide bombing of a military bus in Tunis on 24 November, all claimed by Daesh. The fragile security situation is new to the country. “When I look at the region and my country, I regret it all. Death everywhere and extremism blooming, and killing beautiful souls,” Faida Hamdy, the council inspector who confiscated Bouazizi’s vegetable stall that day five years ago, told the Telegraph.

It is perhaps here in Sidi Bouzid and its surroundings, in the heart of the country, that the fragile security and the lack of economic progress have become most visible. Just a few weeks ago the province was shocked by the brutal news of the beheading of a 16-year-old boy accused of spying for the Tunisian military while herding his sheep. The attack was the first of its kind and paralysed the neighbouring villages. The fragile security situation is but one factor Tunisia struggles with after the revolution.

To Narjis, a mother of four in Sidi Bouzid, many of the difficulties that Bouazizi experienced remain present. Despite that, she studied finance in the coastal city of Sousse; she has been unemployed since 2004. The economy has seen a slow growth since the revolution; GDP increased by 2.3 per cent in 2014 and is, this year, estimated to grow by one per cent. In addition, the country’s overall unemployment is around 15.2 per cent but believed to be significantly higher here in Sidi Bouzid.

So far, any governmental initiative has yet to bear fruit. On the day of the anniversary President Beji Caid Essebsi told the media that the government acknowledged their shortcomings in improving the situation in the region and called to “achieve the objectives of the revolution that are essentially social, in the first place the fight against unemployment, poverty and marginalisation in interior regions.” He also promised that “living conditions in the region will be better before December 17, 2016.”

Yet the obstacles span beyond the economy, Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest against the country’s corruption. To many vegetable sellers in the city police harassment had become a daily routine and Bouazizi is believed to have been fed up after having his property confiscated that day. Yet, five years later the culture of corruption remains. Sidi Bouzid’s vegetable sellers continue to struggle with “taxes” and many of the reasons behind Bouazizi’s self-immolation continue being everyday agonies.

But it is not just the vegetable sellers who get a taste of the corruption. Narjis, the mother of four, is well aware what money under the table can achieve. Initially she was on a government list of the city’s unemployed, she is open to fill in should there be any position that she would be deemed fit for, however, nobody called. When she enquired about it she realised that her name had been replaced. But Narjis is not willing to play this game; she is determined not to succumb to the culture of corruption. To her, corruption is stealing. “Haram,” she says and points with her finger.

But there are positive effects of the revolution, explains the 35-year-old. Today she can visit the mosque as often as she would like. The practice of Islam is dear to Narjis but during the rule of Ben Ali the mosques were strictly regulated, believers were sent to jail for growing a beard and Friday sermons were dictated by the state. Now she can not only pray freely but she can also wear her hijab without being harassed. To Narjis these are important individual freedoms, at the heart of the democracy.

But the newborn freedoms will not provide food on the table and they mean little for hungry stomachs. Despite years of unemployment Narjis tries to remain positive, hopeful she will find a job in a law abiding way. “I love Sidi Bouzid and I love Tunisia,” she says with a smile.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.