Nine women from the group "The 78 Unemployed" attacked the home of Chedly Boualleguel, the governor of Kasserine, late Sunday night.
Bouallegue addressed the event on local Tunisian radio station Mosaique FM on Monday. He described how the women pulled out sharp objects and threatened to commit suicide on his property over ongoing unemployment issues.
The governor told the radio station, “I decided to ensure the safety of my family who [have now] left Kasserine. Unfortunately, it is not the first attack on my house.”
Abdessalem Herchi, a journalist from Kasserine, told Tunisia Live that “the 78 unemployed group used to be composed of 79 unemployed individuals, however, one of them committed suicide. The Governor of Kasserine didn’t keep his promises to hire them.”
Unemployment is a continuing problem in Kasserine. In January of this year, an unemployed college graduate committed suicide, sparking protests across the governorate. Government officials met with protesters and proposed a plan to increase employment, but joblessness remains at over 15% of the population.
