Tunisia man sets himself on fire over living conditions: reports

A man in Tunisia set himself on fire in front of a government building on Saturday evening in protest over worsening living conditions in the crisis-stricken nation, reports said.

The incident took place outside the Nabeul governorate building, a coastal region of the North African country. Footage shared online showed the man ablaze as police rushed out of a van to help him.

#تونس 🇹🇳: أمام مقر ولاية نابل منذ قليل مواطن يقدم على حرق نفسه وتم نقله إلى مستشفى الطاهر المعموري حالته خطيرة جدا.
لا حول ولا قوة إلا بالله ☝️ pic.twitter.com/EAkuxpIt0u

— Tayari Mouadh 🇹🇳 (@TayariMouadh) January 21, 2023

The 41-year-old man, whose name was not identified, suffered minor burns according to reports and was transferred to a hospital in the city.

He had reportedly complained of his difficult living conditions, as Tunisia struggles with a worsening financial and economic situation, as well as political tensions.

In 2011, Tunisian street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi himself on fire in public in 2011 after police confiscated his cart.

His act ignited an uprising in Tunisia that in turn inspired the rest of the Arab world to protest against corruption and injustice.

The revolution in Tunisia overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Many critics of current President Kais Saied have accused him of trying to bring back authoritarianism, similar to the Ben Ali era.

Since his power grab in July 2021, Saied has taken measures to consolidate what his opponents say is a one-man rule.