Tunisia replaces interior, social affairs ministers in reshuffle
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Tunisian president Kais Saied dismisses Interior Minister Kamel Feki as part of a partial cabinet reshuffle.
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Tunisian former conservative constitutional law professor Kais Saied stands in his office in Tunis, Tunisia, on September 17, 2019. (AP)
Tunisia's president replaced the interior and social affairs ministers on Saturday in an unexpected cabinet reshuffle following a wave of detainments.
President Kais Saied appointed Khaled Nouri as the new minister of interior, according to an official statement, replacing Kamel Feki, who was previously seen as a close ally of the president. Additionally, Kamel Madouri has been appointed as the new Minister of Social Affairs, replacing Malek Zahi.
The reshuffle also established a new position: Secretary of State overseeing National Security under the Interior Minister. According to the statement, Sofiene Ben Sadok was appointed to this role. The reshuffle also comes on the heels of a series of detainments over the past two weeks.
The European Union, the United States, and France have expressed concerns over the arrests, drawing criticism from Saied for what he described as "unacceptable foreign interference."
Last week, hundreds of Tunisians rallied in front of the municipal theater and marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue, declaring their support of recent decisions made by President Saied and denouncing foreign interference in internal Tunisian affairs.
Demonstrators marched to the French Embassy, raising a large Tunisian flag and chanting slogans to reaffirm their allegiance to their nation's sovereignty.
A protester expressed his support for the Tunisian President saying, "It is in him that we trust. He brought us security and peace."
Others, who came from Tunis and its suburbs and other regions of the Republic, raised slogans, such as: "The people want national sovereignty," "Yes to accountability, no to foreign interference," "We are all one hand with the President to combat corruption and terrorism," "No to foreign interference in our internal affairs," and "Support the leadership and assert sovereignty."
