Five years on, have things changed in Tunisia?
Tunisia’s economy and working conditions remain gloomy for vendors who sell their goods on the same street where Mohamed Bouazizi lit himself on fire in 2010 to protest the situation.
SIDI BOUZID, Tunisia — It’s been five years since Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire outside the municipal building in Sidi Bouzid, a small town in the heart of Tunisia. While his act had profound international repercussions at the time, some residents say little has changed in their town.
Fed up with a lack of economic opportunity and years of harassment by corrupt police, street vendor Bouazizi made a desperate cry for help on Dec. 17, 2010, and died 18 days later in a hospital. His act led to protests that helped oust President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, paving the way for an immediate and fairly peaceful democratic transition. It also helped inspire a whole region to stand up against dictatorships in the Arab Spring.
But for the vegetable sellers in Sidi Bouzid, little has changed for the better.
“We earned more before the revolution,” said Abdelassalam Bouazizi, a relative of Mohamed. They used to work side by side selling vegetables and fruit. In his opinion, the situation was better during Ben Ali’s administration. Then, at least, there were more customers and he had a higher income. Today, he earns just enough money for a day’s food.
