Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
Tunis - Mongi Saidani

Ennahda Accused of Stoking Tensions in Tunisia in Wake of Mysterious Fires

Head of the Ennahda movement Rached al-Ghannouchi. (EPA)

Tunisian authorities launched an investigation into the mysterious and simultaneous fires that broke out in several governorates.

The fires destroyed a market for traditional products in Gabes, a closed factory for second-hand clothes in Ben Arous, and a warehouse for old buses in Bizerte.

The fires all erupted on the first day of Eid al-Fitr, raising questions that they may be deliberate.

Supporters of President Kais Saeid said the opposition, led by the Ennahda movement, have an interest in stoking social tensions at this time by portraying the president as incapable of managing public affairs.

The opposition, on the other hand, accused the president's supporters of starting the fires as part of a plan to "make up ready-made accusations" against political parties with the ultimate goal of dissolving them.

Some neutral parties did not rule out the possibility that terrorist groups could be behind the fires. They cited an increase in crime in the past whenever political tensions spiked in the country, taking advantage of social and security instability to carry out attacks.

The head of the Anti-Corruption Committee in the dissolved parliament and member of the pro-Saeid “People’s Movement”, Badredine Gammoudi, said arsonists were responsible for these fires.

He called on the state to take action to prevent attempts to spread fear among Tunisians.

Several parties underscored the importance of protecting grain crops from fires, amid predictions of a record yield.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.