Tunisia’s former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali who was forced out of office in 2011 by mass protesters, has died in exile in Saudi Arabia, the BBC has reported. He was aged 83.
Ben Ali led the country for 23 years but was forced from power by people power action through mass protests. Tough economic conditions coupled with high food prices, high youth unemployment triggered the public anger that led people to demand his departure.
His downfall is seen by many as the trigger that sparked a wave of mass protests across many countries in the Arab world that was baptised the Arab Spring.
Some of the countries that experienced the Arab spring include: Algeria, Libya, Egypt, Syria, Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen
Since his downfall, Tunisia has had two peaceful elections.
