Tunisian authorities lift curfew‎, keep state of emergency

Tunisian authorities lift curfew‎, keep state of emergency

2011-05-19 05:47:10 GMT+7 (ICT)

TUNIS, TUNISIA (BNO NEWS) -- Tunisian authorities on Wednesday decided to lift the curfew imposed on the capital, while keeping the state of emergency, the state-run TAP news agency reported.

According to a communiqué from the Interior Ministry, the decision was taken following an improvement in the security situation. The Interior and National Defence Ministries also called on citizens to help security forces to "fight against criminality."

On May 8, the Tunisian government declared an overnight curfew after days of unrest. Anti-government protesters took to the streets of the capital, Tunis, for four days to demand the resignation of the government. Security forces used tear gas and batons to disperse the crowd.

In January, former President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted after weeks of violent protests over economic issues. The United Nations estimated that approximately 219 people were killed during the Tunisian mass unrest that began in mid-December. Most of them died after security forces were ordered to fire at them.

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