Ben Ali, President of Tunisia, flees to Saudi Arabia

Flight into exile in Tunisia dictator Ben Ali has fled after bloody protests in Saudi Arabia. But even after his resignation continue the violence. The central station was burning in residential areas is in turmoil. EU, U.S. call for restraint on the protesters. Tunis - After a bloody mass protests Tunisian president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia.

Early Saturday morning the President met the press in the city of Jeddah on the Red Sea. They had Ben Ali and his family in the Kingdom welcomed the Saudi news agency SPA reported. An employee of the airport told the news agency, Ben Ali had been received there in a special section for VIPs.


Ben Ali had, according to the newspaper "Le Monde" had tried to land in Paris. The French government did not want to let him enter. After 23 years in power, the authoritarian rulers had imposed a state of emergency on Friday, deposed the government and fresh elections announced. The Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi confirmed.

To the elections, he now takes over the presidency. Ghannouchi called upon the population to unity. Tunisia has been rocked for weeks by violent protests against the government. The resentment of many, especially young people is directed against the high unemployment, high prices and lack of freedoms.

Security forces during rioting in recent days, shot multiple times on demonstrators. Human rights activists called up Thursday, the number of 66 dead. Station in Tunis in flames Whether the country now comes to rest is unclear. The departure of the president could certainly stop the violence at first.

They went on well into the night Saturday. From the capital Tunis was reported chaotic scenes. According to eye witnesses spent the night in the central station in Tunis. In several supermarkets and residential buildings is also set fire to a hospital and had been attacked. Riots were also reported from other parts of the country.

Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said the Tunisian state television of a complete chaos. He advised the people of Tunis to join together in groups to protect their belongings. In an interview, he announced that the Army make greater use to secure the neighborhood. Ghannouchi said he would meet on Saturday with the leaders of political parties to discuss the way forward.

Two opposition leaders have already signaled willingness to cooperate. A return of Ben Ali's Tunisia he described as "impossible". German tourists flown tour operators flew on Friday morning Tunisian German tourists from home. The first machines arrived in Dusseldorf and Berlin. Because of the state of emergency and the closure of the Tunisian airspace had occurred in cancellations, which delayed the early return of many tourists.

Tour operators estimate that flew with German suppliers about 7,000 tourists to Tunisia. In the hotels it was silent at first. The Foreign Office in Berlin advised non-essential travel to Tunisia from. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) was concerned about the situation and urged a peaceful resolution of social unrest.

The EU Commission also urges a peaceful change in the Mediterranean country. "We urge all parties to show restraint and to keep quiet to avoid further casualties and violence," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said on Friday evening in Brussels. The key to the further development was the dialogue.

The U.S. also called on all sides to show restraint. The Tunisian government must respect "in this moment of significant change," the right of their people peaceably to assemble, and to express his views, said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The United States followed the rapid developments very closely, the Foreign Minister.

They called for free and fair elections in the near future, and to reform. Ben Ali's fall affects the entire region, whether the flight of revolutionary romanticism "jasmine revolution" protests are baptized indeed bring a lasting change, is now up to the opposition. You would have to agree now on a common political line, says Lahser Atschy, North Africa expert at the Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut.

"Citizens need to work out requirements for how they want to see govern their country," said Atschy. He doubts, however, the independence of the parties - these were "very involved in the system." It would be desirable that committed above all the trade unions. The case of Ben Ali and the flight will have an impact on the entire region: the success of protests in Tunisia would be another ruling autocratic leaders in the region, a warning, says North Africa expert Atschy.

"Neither Algeria or Egypt could ignore what happened today." Even in Algeria, there were protests in recent weeks, the local people suffer from high unemployment and high food prices. It was a 'clear political risk of infection, "said Atschy. Particularly in Egypt, which for decades by Hosni Mubarak ruled with an iron hand, had the leadership to go, given the events of Tunis in itself.

"They should implement reforms and freedoms before the people it takes." In Egypt, this fall, a new President is elected. It is still questionable whether Mubarak takes up senior again or whether he uses his son as heir apparent Gamal. In parliamentary elections late last year the regime was preparing massive fraud by the way for the preferred candidate of the "Pharaoh".

The election was accompanied by protests, the government with massive police presence was small, however. "Egypt will take longer than Tunisia, to awaken from its slumber," said Atschy. been taken in Tunesiensei the protest above all from the well-educated middle class. "These politically active class in Egypt is vanishingly small."

• Ousted Tunisian president arrives in Saudi Arabia (15/01/2011)
• Ousted Tunisian president arrives in Saudi Arabia (15/01/2011)
• Ousted Tunisian president arrives in Saudi Arabia (15/01/2011)
• Saudi Arabia out of Asian Cup after loss to Jordan (AP) (13/01/2011)
• Saudi Arabia makes shock Asian Cup exit (AP) (13/01/2011)

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