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'''Salah Ben Youssef''' ({{lang|aeb|صالح بن يوسف}}), born on October 11, 1907 in Maghraoua, ([[Djerba]]) and was assassinated on {{date|August|12|1961}} in [[Frankfurt am Main]], [[Germany]], he is a [[Tunisia]]n [[Politician]] and one of the key leaders of the [[Tunisian national movement]].
'''Salah Ben Youssef''' ({{lang|aeb|صالح بن يوسف}}), born on October 11, 1907 in Maghraoua, ([[Djerba]]) and was assassinated on {{date|August 12 1961}} in [[Frankfurt am Main]], [[Germany]], he is a [[Tunisia]]n [[Politician]] and one of the key leaders of the [[Tunisian national movement]].


== Early life ==
== Early life ==
Born in Maghraoua, a small village near to [[Midoun]]<ref>{{fr}} [http://www.politiquetn.info/fr/leader-tunisien/44-salah-ben-youssef/51-salah-ben-youssef.html Portrait de Salah Ben Youssef (Saisons tunisiennes)]</ref> on Djerba, to a family of wealthy and influential merchants. He trained to be a [[lawyer]], but he ended up becoming involved in politics where he was prized for his personal qualities. This would later lead to his ascension to being [[Habib Bourguiba]]'s protégé.
Born in Maghraoua, a small village near [[Midoun]]<ref>{{fr}} [http://www.politiquetn.info/fr/leader-tunisien/44-salah-ben-youssef/51-salah-ben-youssef.html Portrait de Salah Ben Youssef (Saisons tunisiennes)]</ref> on Djerba, to a family of wealthy and influential merchants. He trained to be a [[lawyer]], but became involved in politics where he was prized for his personal qualities. This would later lead to his ascension to being [[Habib Bourguiba]]'s protégé.


He began his political career as the Secretary General of the [[Neo-Destour]] Political Party, a post where he played a role of key organizer during Bourguiba's exile. In August 1950, he was appointed as the Tunisian Minister of Justice in the government of [[Mohamed Chenik]]. Charged with bringing the Tunisian request for statehood to the [[United Nations]], which was gathered in Paris in March 1952, he barely escaped arrest and deportation. While he traveled across the world during over three years—during which he was received by [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], President of Egypt, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], President of India, and even [[Zhou Enlai]], Premier of the People's Republic of China—the agreements with [[France]] concerning internal autonomy for Tunisia were signed.
He began his political career as the Secretary General of the [[Neo-Destour]] Political Party, a post where he played a role of key organizer during Bourguiba's exile. In August 1950, he was appointed as the Tunisian Minister of Justice in the government of [[Mohamed Chenik]]. Charged with bringing the Tunisian request for statehood to the [[United Nations]], which was gathered in Paris in March 1952, he barely escaped arrest and deportation. While travelling across the world for more than three years—during which he was received by [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]], President of Egypt, [[Jawaharlal Nehru]], President of India, and even [[Zhou Enlai]], Premier of the People's Republic of China,—the agreements with [[France]] concerning internal autonomy for Tunisia were signed.


== Confrontation ==
== Confrontation ==


This fait accompli took place without him and he considered it to be "a step backwards and setback". In Ben Youssef's view, only the wholesale evacuation of French Troops from the entirety of Tunisian territory was an indisputable prerequisite for genuine national independence.
This fait accompli took place without him and he considered it "a step backwards and a setback". In Ben Youssef's view, the wholesale evacuation of French Troops from the entirety of Tunisian territory was an indisputable prerequisite for genuine national independence.


Whereas Ben Youssef was previously a loyal servant and friend of Bourghiba, when he returned to country on June 1, 1955, he became Bourghiba's arch-enemy.<ref>{{fr}} [http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2000/05/LABIDI/13810.html Kamel Labidi, « Deuil subversif en Tunisie », ''Le Monde diplomatique'', mai 2000, p. 3]</ref> According to Ben Youssef, his adversary was capable of practicing a "policy of denial and betrayal" as concerns the Tunisian People and the [[Algerian War]]. Having returned to Tunisia from [[Cairo]] on September 13, he began to organize unrest throughout the country.
Whereas Ben Youssef was previously a loyal servant and friend of Bourghiba, when he returned to the country on June 1, 1955, he became Bourghiba's arch-enemy.<ref>{{fr}} [http://www.monde-diplomatique.fr/2000/05/LABIDI/13810.html Kamel Labidi, « Deuil subversif en Tunisie », ''Le Monde diplomatique'', mai 2000, p. 3]</ref> According to Ben Youssef, his adversary was capable of practicing a "policy of denial and betrayal" of the Tunisian People and concerning the [[Algerian War]]. Having returned to Tunisia from [[Cairo]] on September 13, he began to organize unrest throughout the country.


[[Image:Ben Youssef-Bourguiba.jpg|left|thumb|Arrival of Salah Ben Youssef to Tunis September 13, 1955.]]
[[Image:Ben Youssef-Bourguiba.jpg|left|thumb|Arrival of Salah Ben Youssef to Tunis September 13, 1955.]]


Thos aligned with Bourguiba, the "Bourguibists", and those aligned with Ben Youssef, the Youssefists, began to have numerous meetings to denounce and strike down the position of the opposing party...<ref name="independance">{{fr}} [http://www.independance.tn/francais/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28&limit=1&limitstart=1 Les accords : objet de discorde entre les directions daltoïdiennes (50<sup>e</sup> anniversaire de l'indépendance)]</ref> Convened on October 8, under Bourguiba's leadership, the Neo-Destour caucus decided to open session and thereupon demand that Ben Youssef be expelled from the party. Stripped of his functions and excluded from the party following the congress convened from November 15 to November 19, Ben Youssef, continued to campaign in the south of Tunisia where he organized a number of gatherings up to the end of November which resulted in clashes with Bourguiba supporters.<ref name="independance"/>
Though aligned with Bourguiba, the "Bourguibists", and those aligned with Ben Youssef, the Youssefists, began to have numerous meetings to denounce and strike down the position of the opposing party...<ref name="independance">{{fr}} [http://www.independance.tn/francais/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=14&Itemid=28&limit=1&limitstart=1 Les accords : objet de discorde entre les directions daltoïdiennes (50<sup>e</sup> anniversaire de l'indépendance)]</ref> Convened on October 8, under Bourguiba's leadership, the Neo-Destour caucus decided to open session and thereupon demand that Ben Youssef be expelled from the party. Stripped of his functions and excluded from the party following the congress convened from November 15 to November 19, Ben Youssef, continued to campaign in the south of Tunisia where he organized a number of gatherings up to the end of November which resulted in clashes with Bourguiba supporters.<ref name="independance"/> He remained, however, committed to his activism up until January 1958.

However, he remained committed to his activism up until January 1958.
{{clear left}}
{{clear left}}


== Exile and Assassination ==
== Exile and Assassination ==
On two occasion, in January 1957 and in November 1958, Ben Youssef was sentenced to the [[death penalty]]. However, he was able to escape on January 28, allowing him to avoid the realization of those sentences.<ref name="independance"/> Pursued, he fled to [[Tripoli]], [[Libya]] and then to [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] where he was able to take advantage of a temporary estrangement between Bourghiba and Nasser. However, soon his presence became bothersome. He went to [[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]] where he received Bourghiba one last time on March 3, 1961. Realizing that the relationship between Bourghiba and Ben Youssef would forever be intractable, Ben Youssef, who was afflicted by [[eczema]] on his [[legs]], took up residence in a hotel in [[Wiesbaden]], [[West Germany]] on June 2, 1961 in order to use the local [[thermal bath]]es.<ref name="Realites">« Bonnes feuilles. L'ordre d'assassinat », ''Réalités'', 18 août 2005</ref> On August 12, he was assassinated in a Frankfort hotel by two accomplices.
On two occasion, in January 1957 and in November 1958, Ben Youssef was sentenced to the [[death penalty]]. However, he was able to escape on January 28, allowing him to avoid the realization of those sentences.<ref name="independance"/> Pursued, he fled to [[Tripoli]], [[Libya]] and then to [[Cairo]], [[Egypt]] where he was able to take advantage of a temporary estrangement between Bourghiba and Nasser. However, soon his presence became bothersome. He went to [[Zurich]], [[Switzerland]] where he received Bourghiba one last time on March 3, 1961. Realizing that the relationship between Bourghiba and himself would forever be intractable, Ben Youssef, who was afflicted by [[eczema]] on his [[legs]], took up residence in a hotel in [[Wiesbaden]], [[West Germany]] on June 2, 1961 in order to use the local [[thermal bath]]es.<ref name="Realites">« Bonnes feuilles. L'ordre d'assassinat », ''Réalités'', 18 août 2005</ref> On August 12, he was assassinated in a Frankfurt hotel by two accomplices.


Some published sources advance the argument that the leaders of the conspiracy to eliminate Ben Youssef are Bourguiba himself, his wife [[Wassila Ben Ammar]], [[Mohamed Masmoudi]], [[Hassen Belkhodja]], [[Taïeb Mehiri]] and [[Béchir Zarg Layoun]].<ref name="Realites"/> The Minister of the Interior Mehiri would have requested the use of two persons that Zarg Layoun had just recruited that could see the plan through. The plan consisted of making Ben Youssef believe that these were officers of the [[Tunisian Armed Forces]] who want to see him in order to inform him of and request his presence in a Tunisian [[Coup d'État]]<ref name="Realites"/>
Some published sources advance the argument that the leaders of the conspiracy to eliminate Ben Youssef were Bourguiba himself, his wife [[Wassila Ben Ammar]], [[Mohamed Masmoudi]], [[Hassen Belkhodja]], [[Taïeb Mhiri]] and [[Béchir Zarg Layoun]].<ref name="Realites"/> The Minister of the Interior Mehiri would have requested the use of two persons that Zarg Layoun had just recruited to see the plan through. The plan consisted of making Ben Youssef believe that these were officers of the [[Tunisian Armed Forces]] who wanted to see him in order to inform him of and request his presence in a Tunisian [[Coup d'État]]<ref name="Realites"/>


[[Image:Tombe de Salah Ben Youssef.JPG|thumb|Tomb of Salah Ben Youssef]]
[[Image:Tombe de Salah Ben Youssef.JPG|thumb|Tomb of Salah Ben Youssef]]


Less than twenty days after the conclusion of the [[Bizerte crisis]] and basking in patriotic ferver of the Tunisian people, Bourghiba judged that the moment was proper to remove his principal political rival.<ref name="Realites"/> Once Ben Youssef arrived in Frankfort, he left his wife Soufia in a café on the [[Kaiserstrasse]] and went towards the Hotel Royal, which was situated on the same street. It was there that the two henchmen met him and brought him with them to their room to go over the plan for the coup d'état. One of them shot him at close range around 16:30.<ref name="Realites"/> It was only three hours later that Soufia discovered her husband bathing [[coma]]tose in his blood. He was taken to the [[University of Frankfort Hospital]] where he died around 22:45 without ever regaining consciousness<ref name="Realites"/>
Less than twenty days after the conclusion of the [[Bizerte crisis]] and basking in patriotic ferver of the Tunisian people, Bourghiba judged that the moment had come to remove his principal political rival.<ref name="Realites"/> Once Ben Youssef arrived in Frankfurt, he left his wife Soufia in a café on the [[Kaiserstraße (Frankfurt am Main)|Kaiserstrasse]] and went towards the Hotel Royal, situated on the same street. It was there that the two henchmen met him and brought him with them to their room to go over the plan for the coup d'état. One of them shot him at close range around 16:30.<ref name="Realites"/> It was only three hours later that Soufia discovered her husband bathing [[coma]]tose in his blood. He was taken to the [[University Hospital Frankfurt]] where he died around 22:45 without ever regaining consciousness<ref name="Realites"/>


He was sent back to Cairo and then entombed there before his remains were repatriated to Tunisia and re-interred in the Martyr's Square at [[Djellaz Cemetery]].<ref>{{fr}} [http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/931 Larbi Chouikha, « Évoquer la mémoire politique dans un contexte autoritaire : « l’extrême gauche » tunisienne entre mémoire du passé et identité présente », ''L’Année du Maghreb'', vol. VI, 2010, pp. 427-440]</ref> His widow Soufia only returned to Tunisia on December 22, 1987, after more than thirty years of exile in Cairo. She was received on January 2, 1988 by the [[President of Tunisia]] [[Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali]]. In April 2012, [[Al Jazeera Documentary Channel]] put out a film which followed his life as produced by the Tunisian [[Jamel Dallali]] and titled ''Salah Ben Youssef, un crime d'État'' (which translates to "Salah Ben Youssef, a Crime of the State").
He was sent back to Cairo and entombed there, but his remains were later repatriated to Tunisia and re-interred in the Martyr's Square at [[Jellaz Cemetery]].<ref>{{fr}} [http://anneemaghreb.revues.org/931 Larbi Chouikha, « Évoquer la mémoire politique dans un contexte autoritaire : « l’extrême gauche » tunisienne entre mémoire du passé et identité présente », ''L’Année du Maghreb'', vol. VI, 2010, pp. 427-440]</ref> His widow Soufia only returned to Tunisia on December 22, 1987, after more than thirty years of exile in Cairo. She was received on January 2, 1988 by the [[President of Tunisia]] [[Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali]]. In April 2012, [[Al Jazeera Documentary Channel]] put out a film produced by the Tunisian [[Jamel Dallali]] about Ben Yousef's life, titled ''Salah Ben Youssef, un crime d'État'' (which translates to "Salah Ben Youssef, a Crime of the State").


His granddaughter, [[Leila Ben Youssef]], is an [[Athlétisme|athlete]] who performs [[pole vault]]ing.
His granddaughter, [[Leila Ben Youssef]], is an [[Athletics|athlete]] who performs [[pole vault]]ing.


== Bibliography ==
== Bibliography ==

Revision as of 11:00, 27 January 2016

Salah Ben Youssef
صالح بن يوسف
Salah ben Youssef
Tunisian Minister of Justice
In office
1950–1952
MonarchLamine Bey
Prime MinisterMohamed Chenik
Preceded byMohamed Abdelaziz Djaït
Secretary General of Neo Destour
In office
17 October 1948 – 8 October 1955
Preceded byHabib Bourguiba
Succeeded byBahi Ladgham
Personal details
Born(1907-10-11)October 11, 1907
Maghraoua, Djerba, Tunisa
DiedAugust 12, 1961(1961-08-12) (aged 53)
Frankfurt, West Germany
NationalityTunisian
Political partyNeo Destour
ProfessionLawyer

Salah Ben Youssef (صالح بن يوسف), born on October 11, 1907 in Maghraoua, (Djerba) and was assassinated on 12 August 1961 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, he is a Tunisian Politician and one of the key leaders of the Tunisian national movement.

Early life

Born in Maghraoua, a small village near Midoun[1] on Djerba, to a family of wealthy and influential merchants. He trained to be a lawyer, but became involved in politics where he was prized for his personal qualities. This would later lead to his ascension to being Habib Bourguiba's protégé.

He began his political career as the Secretary General of the Neo-Destour Political Party, a post where he played a role of key organizer during Bourguiba's exile. In August 1950, he was appointed as the Tunisian Minister of Justice in the government of Mohamed Chenik. Charged with bringing the Tunisian request for statehood to the United Nations, which was gathered in Paris in March 1952, he barely escaped arrest and deportation. While travelling across the world for more than three years—during which he was received by Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt, Jawaharlal Nehru, President of India, and even Zhou Enlai, Premier of the People's Republic of China,—the agreements with France concerning internal autonomy for Tunisia were signed.

Confrontation

This fait accompli took place without him and he considered it "a step backwards and a setback". In Ben Youssef's view, the wholesale evacuation of French Troops from the entirety of Tunisian territory was an indisputable prerequisite for genuine national independence.

Whereas Ben Youssef was previously a loyal servant and friend of Bourghiba, when he returned to the country on June 1, 1955, he became Bourghiba's arch-enemy.[2] According to Ben Youssef, his adversary was capable of practicing a "policy of denial and betrayal" of the Tunisian People and concerning the Algerian War. Having returned to Tunisia from Cairo on September 13, he began to organize unrest throughout the country.

Arrival of Salah Ben Youssef to Tunis September 13, 1955.

Though aligned with Bourguiba, the "Bourguibists", and those aligned with Ben Youssef, the Youssefists, began to have numerous meetings to denounce and strike down the position of the opposing party...[3] Convened on October 8, under Bourguiba's leadership, the Neo-Destour caucus decided to open session and thereupon demand that Ben Youssef be expelled from the party. Stripped of his functions and excluded from the party following the congress convened from November 15 to November 19, Ben Youssef, continued to campaign in the south of Tunisia where he organized a number of gatherings up to the end of November which resulted in clashes with Bourguiba supporters.[3] He remained, however, committed to his activism up until January 1958.

Exile and Assassination

On two occasion, in January 1957 and in November 1958, Ben Youssef was sentenced to the death penalty. However, he was able to escape on January 28, allowing him to avoid the realization of those sentences.[3] Pursued, he fled to Tripoli, Libya and then to Cairo, Egypt where he was able to take advantage of a temporary estrangement between Bourghiba and Nasser. However, soon his presence became bothersome. He went to Zurich, Switzerland where he received Bourghiba one last time on March 3, 1961. Realizing that the relationship between Bourghiba and himself would forever be intractable, Ben Youssef, who was afflicted by eczema on his legs, took up residence in a hotel in Wiesbaden, West Germany on June 2, 1961 in order to use the local thermal bathes.[4] On August 12, he was assassinated in a Frankfurt hotel by two accomplices.

Some published sources advance the argument that the leaders of the conspiracy to eliminate Ben Youssef were Bourguiba himself, his wife Wassila Ben Ammar, Mohamed Masmoudi, Hassen Belkhodja, Taïeb Mhiri and Béchir Zarg Layoun.[4] The Minister of the Interior Mehiri would have requested the use of two persons that Zarg Layoun had just recruited to see the plan through. The plan consisted of making Ben Youssef believe that these were officers of the Tunisian Armed Forces who wanted to see him in order to inform him of and request his presence in a Tunisian Coup d'État[4]

Tomb of Salah Ben Youssef

Less than twenty days after the conclusion of the Bizerte crisis and basking in patriotic ferver of the Tunisian people, Bourghiba judged that the moment had come to remove his principal political rival.[4] Once Ben Youssef arrived in Frankfurt, he left his wife Soufia in a café on the Kaiserstrasse and went towards the Hotel Royal, situated on the same street. It was there that the two henchmen met him and brought him with them to their room to go over the plan for the coup d'état. One of them shot him at close range around 16:30.[4] It was only three hours later that Soufia discovered her husband bathing comatose in his blood. He was taken to the University Hospital Frankfurt where he died around 22:45 without ever regaining consciousness[4]

He was sent back to Cairo and entombed there, but his remains were later repatriated to Tunisia and re-interred in the Martyr's Square at Jellaz Cemetery.[5] His widow Soufia only returned to Tunisia on December 22, 1987, after more than thirty years of exile in Cairo. She was received on January 2, 1988 by the President of Tunisia Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. In April 2012, Al Jazeera Documentary Channel put out a film produced by the Tunisian Jamel Dallali about Ben Yousef's life, titled Salah Ben Youssef, un crime d'État (which translates to "Salah Ben Youssef, a Crime of the State").

His granddaughter, Leila Ben Youssef, is an athlete who performs pole vaulting.

Bibliography

  • Omar Khlifi, L'assassinat de Salah Ben Youssef, éd. MC-Editions, Carthage, 2005. ISBN 9973807480.[6]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Salah Ben Youssef.
  1. ^ Template:Fr Portrait de Salah Ben Youssef (Saisons tunisiennes)
  2. ^ Template:Fr Kamel Labidi, « Deuil subversif en Tunisie », Le Monde diplomatique, mai 2000, p. 3
  3. ^ a b c Template:Fr Les accords : objet de discorde entre les directions daltoïdiennes (50e anniversaire de l'indépendance)
  4. ^ a b c d e f « Bonnes feuilles. L'ordre d'assassinat », Réalités, 18 août 2005
  5. ^ Template:Fr Larbi Chouikha, « Évoquer la mémoire politique dans un contexte autoritaire : « l’extrême gauche » tunisienne entre mémoire du passé et identité présente », L’Année du Maghreb, vol. VI, 2010, pp. 427-440
  6. ^ Ali Ben Samir, « Le livre évènement de Omar Khlifi. L'assassinat de Salah Ben Youssef », Réalités, 18 août 2005

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