AFP - The transitional government of Tunisia has appointed a career diplomat, Mouldi Kefi, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced the official news agency TAP quoted an authoritative source in the presidency.
"Mouldi Kefi was appointed foreign minister in the transitional government," according to the TAP citing an authoritative source in the presidency. M. Kefi was sworn in Monday morning before Mr. Fouad Mebazaa, President of Tunisia interim, the agency said.
Mr.Kefi, who served under the presidency of Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has worked as a diplomat in Prague, Moscow and East Berlin, before moving the positions of ambassador to Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone and Indonesia, according to an official biography.
M. Kefi, 65, married with four children, succeeds Ounaïes Ahmed, 75, who resigned in mid-February on the eve of the visit to Tunisia by the head of European diplomacy Ashton.
Former ambassador to retirement, Mr. Ounaïes was appointed Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the first government of national unity, January 17.He became a minister in the transitional government revised 27 January by Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi.
But a visit to France since February 4, he had hardly taken up his duties, according to diplomatic sources.
The Independent was heckled on February 7 by Foreign Affairs officials who were demonstrating in front of and within the confines of his department by claiming he leaves immediately after his remarks in Paris. He then took his belongings and left his office.
Visiting Paris whose rallying late to the revolution of jasmine cringe in Tunis, Mr. Ounaïes had no praise for his counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie."I like to listen to Ms Alliot-Marie in all circumstances and in all fora", "he said.
He hailed it "above all a friend of Tunisia," while "MAM" was summoned to explain himself at the same time in France for having benefited from the generosity of a great boss Tunisian business related to the clan and Ben Ali for proposing to the tottering regime "expertise" of the French police, while repression was in full swing.
He had been pinned to "denial of revolution" after statements to the Tunisian private TV Nesma.
