Ben Ali

Ben Ali
Name	Ben Ali
Order	2nd
Office	President of Tunisia
Term start	7 November 1987
Term end	14 January 2011
Predecessor	Habib Bourguiba
Successor	Fouad Mebazaa (interim)
Birth date	3 September 1936
Birth place	Hammam Sousse, French protectorate of Tunisia
Death date	19 September 2019
Death place	Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Party	Constitutional Democratic Rally
Spouse	Na'ima el-Kafy, Leïla Trabelsi
Allegiance	Tunisia
Branch	Tunisian Armed Forces
Serviceyears	1958–1980
Rank	General

Ben Ali was a Tunisian military officer and politician who served as the second President of Tunisia from 1987 until his ousting in 2011. He came to power in a bloodless 1987 Tunisian coup d'état that deposed the aging founding father, Habib Bourguiba. His 23-year rule, characterized by authoritarian control and economic modernization, ended abruptly during the Arab Spring protests, forcing him into exile in Saudi Arabia.

Early life and career

Born in Hammam Sousse during the French protectorate of Tunisia, he received military training at the Special Military School of Saint-Cyr in France and the School of Applied Artillery in the United States. He joined the newly independent Tunisian Armed Forces and rose through the ranks, eventually leading the Military Security Department. His appointment as director of National Security in 1977 marked his entry into high-level politics, and he later served as ambassador to Poland under the Polish People's Republic. Recalled by Habib Bourguiba to quell bread riots in 1984, he was appointed Minister of the Interior, a position from which he consolidated significant power within the ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally.

Rise to power

As Minister of the Interior and later Prime Minister, he amassed considerable influence over the country's security apparatus. Citing the declining health and erratic leadership of Habib Bourguiba, he orchestrated a bloodless 1987 Tunisian coup d'état on November 7, 1987, declaring himself president. The move, framed as a "medical coup" and supported by a cadre of doctors and officials, was quickly ratified by the Tunisian Parliament. He initially promised political reforms and a move towards pluralism, a period often referred to as the "Tunisian reform movement" of the late 1980s.

Presidency

His presidency established an authoritarian system under the guise of a democratic republic. While maintaining a facade of multi-party elections, his regime was dominated by the Constitutional Democratic Rally, which consistently won overwhelming majorities. Political life was tightly controlled by the pervasive state security apparatus, notably the Political Police, and dissent was ruthlessly suppressed by organizations like the Tunisian League for Human Rights. Figures such as Moncef Marzouki and Rached Ghannouchi faced persecution, imprisonment, or exile, and the press operated under severe censorship enforced by the Ministry of Information.

Economic policies

His economic strategy, developed in consultation with international bodies like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, focused on liberalization, privatization, and attracting foreign investment. This led to growth in sectors like tourism, manufacturing, and offshore industries, particularly in coastal cities such as Sousse and Monastir. However, these policies exacerbated regional inequalities, neglecting the interior regions like Sidi Bouzid and Gafsa, where unemployment and poverty fueled widespread discontent. The economy became increasingly associated with crony capitalism, benefiting his extended family, especially the powerful Trabelsi family.

Foreign relations

Internationally, he positioned Tunisia as a stable, moderate ally of the West, cultivating strong ties with the United States, France, and the European Union. He was a participant in the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership and cooperated closely on security matters with Western intelligence agencies, including the CIA and DGSE, particularly after the September 11 attacks. Regionally, he maintained generally cordial relations with neighbors like Algeria and was a proponent of the Arab Maghreb Union, though relations with Muammar Gaddafi's Libya were often tense.

Downfall and exile

His regime collapsed following the Jasmine Revolution, a series of mass protests ignited by the self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi in Sidi Bouzid in December 2010. Faced with escalating demonstrations across cities like Tunis, Kasserine, and Thala, and after the Tunisian Army refused to fire on protesters, he fled the country on January 14, 2011. He was granted asylum by King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and lived in Jeddah. In absentia, Tunisian courts, including the Tunis Court of Appeal, convicted him on multiple charges of corruption and murder. The Tunisian Truth and Dignity Commission later documented extensive human rights abuses during his rule. He died in Saudi Arabia in 2019.

Category:Presidents of Tunisia Category:2019 deaths Category:1936 births