Tunisian man sets himself on fire in employment protest

A young Tunisian man tried to commit suicide on Tuesday by setting himself on fire in protest at employment competition results announced by the state-owned Gafsa Phosphate Company, Anadolu has reported.

“Yassin Dinari attempted to commit suicide outside the company in the city of Métlaoui,” explained human rights activist Ahmed Al-Jadidi. “Dinari and a group of other young people were protesting about the results of the recent recruitment competition announced by the company.”

According to Al-Jadidi, the young man suffered minor burns to his face and was transferred to the local hospital in Métlaoui. The Tunisian authorities were not immediately available for comment.

The production of phosphate stopped in Gafsa governorate on Monday after two days of protests which included clashes with the security forces after the company announced the results of the competition. The protesters accused it of lacking transparency in the employment process. This was denied by the management.

Such protests take place frequently outside the Gafsa Phosphate Company.

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