Five killed amid social tensions in several Tunisian cities
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Businessnews
Five people died in events on 21 and 22 October in several Tunisian localities, where protests and clashes with security forces were reported. The Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights recorded 2,882 social movements in the third quarter of 2026, compared with 1,316 a year earlier, reports Businessnews.
Five people died within 48 hours in several Tunisian localities, where demonstrations, road blockades and clashes with security forces were reported on 21 and 22 October 2026, reports Business News. The incidents notably affected Agareb, Jebiniana, Sfax, Ettadhamen and Menzel Bouzelfa, with demands linked to deaths during security interventions, local conflicts and environmental concerns.
In Jebiniana, in Sfax governorate, the death of Aoun Salhi, a 25-year-old resident, sparked gatherings outside the hospital and clashes with security forces. Local witnesses said he may have died after a police pursuit on the road linking Jebiniana to El Hencha, while the circumstances of his death remain to be established, according to Business News. Tyres were set alight and tear gas was used on Wednesday evening and Thursday.
Sfax governorate was also hit by a general strike at university institutions. Nationally, the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), which records protest movements, recorded 2,882 social mobilisations in the third quarter of 2026, compared with 1,316 during the same period in 2025, according to Business News.
These tensions came after the national march in Tunis, held on 17 October, followed by demonstrations against the authorities in Tunis on 18 October. They also followed clashes between police and protesters reported on 23 October after a death, according to an article previously published by Business News.
