Tunis, Tunisia (CNN) -- The tense mood in crisis-ridden Tunisia persisted Thursday as street unrest percolated and a message purportedly from an al Qaeda affiliate announced its support of angry protesters.
But reports indicate that the government is working to address the eruption of grass-roots rage and resolve widespread dissatisfaction with what is seen by many as poor living conditions.
At least 21 people have been killed during protests over high unemployment, alleged corruption, rising prices, and limitations on rights in the North African nation perched on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
The wave of demonstrations was sparked this month by the suicide of an unemployed college graduate, a man who torched himself in December after police confiscated his fruit cart.
Riots and clashes occurred on Mohamad Ali Street in the capital, Tunis, and there is a heavy presence of security forces in that area. Also, rioting erupted on Al Tadamon street in that city's suburbs. Amateur video showed security forces clashing with protests and tear gas is seen.
The videos also showed throngs of protesters packing the streets in Sousse and in Kairouan province. In Sousse, the demonstrators chanted that they will not give up protesting against government economic policies.
There were Arabic-language media reports of six deaths Thursday, reports attributed to eyewitnesses.
These fresh reports come a day after the top U.N. human rights official urged Tunisia's government to make sure its security forces stop using excessive force against protesters and investigate deaths that occurred during demonstrations.
Despite the conflict, there were signs that the government is willing to tackle a range of problems brought to its attention by protesters.
State-run TV on Thursday reported that Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali picked a new interior minister, Ahmed Qureiah, who replaces the fired Rafik Belhaj Kacem.
The president also has fired a couple of close aides, both of whom are perceived to be conservative hard-liners, said Abdel Latif Abid, a Tunisian human rights lawyer and an active member in the opposition.
TV reported that Ben Ali decided to release everyone detained in the latest events in various parts of the country, except for those who were proven to have links to violent incidents and property damages.
He has decided to form one committee to probe the violence and a second committee to look into complaints of bribery, corruption and officials' mistakes, TV reported.
Ben Ali also called on the country's two houses of parliament to meet in an emergency session and implement presidential decrees to help raise employment, create more resources to improve peoples' living and push for more investments.
Abid also told CNN that Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi is currently meeting the opposition leaders, Mustafa Ben Jaafar, Ahmad Ibrahim and Ahmad Najib.
The sitdown is viewed by the opposition as an unprecedented step by the government toward the opposition.
In recent years, Abid said, the government has created fake opposition parties. It is the first time that the government is meeting with the real opposition, he said.
The unrest has drawn travel warnings from the U.S. State Department and attention from the al Qaeda terror network.
The State Department recommended suspending "non-essential travel" to the country and urges Americans to avoid any demonstration, even peaceful ones that can get out of hand.
"The unrest has recently spread to Tunis and all major cities, including popular tourist destinations. These spontaneous and unpredictable events have degenerated on several occasions into violent clashes between police and protesters, resulting in multiple deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.
"While these disturbances appear to be triggered by economic concerns, and not to be directed toward Westerners, U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security."
The State Department said the Tunisian government has imposed an 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. curfew for the greater Tunis metropolitan area.
An audio message about Tunisia surfaced on militant websites on Thursday, and it is said to be from Al Qaeda's North African affiliate, Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb.
While the message cannot be authenticated by CNN, it appeared on various radical Islamist websites known for posting similar statements, messages and recruitment videos by al Qaeda figures.
The 13 minute and 3 second long message is titled "A call of blessing & Support for the intifada of our people in Tunisia" and is said to be from AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droudkel, also known as Abu Musab Abdul Wadud.
He expressed his support for the protesters and called the clashes part of the main battle against tyranny, the crusaders and the Jews. The term "crusaders" is usually a reference to Christians.
The message said that the riots in the Tunisian capital are nothing but a "loud outcry from a victim confronting his executioner, breaking the wall of silence that overshadowed Tunisia for long decades, a long awaited outcry and a blessed uprising against tyranny."
The speaker said AQIM is ready to offer advice and encourages the protesters to defy the government as part of a larger battle to "liberate the lands of Islam" and establish sharia law.
"Now for your movement to be fruitful, your uprising should not be limited to one city or one suburb but your duty is to spread all over and extend your action to every part of the country because the tyrant can only extinguish the fire of one uprising of one limited group but not the fire of the uprising of the whole nation," the message said.
The street protests have gotten the attention of the world.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said Wednesday that reports suggest the majority of protests have been peaceful in nature but that security forces have reacted excessively.
"It is imperative that the government launch a transparent, credible and independent investigation into the violence and killings," she said. "If there is evidence that members of the security forces have used excessive force, or conducted extra-judicial killings, they must be arrested, tried and -- if found guilty of offences -- punished according to the law. It is essential that justice is done, and is seen to be done."
She also expressed her concern over widespread arrests.
"While it is correct that people should be arrested if there is evidence they have committed crimes such as violence or arson, no one should be arrested or harassed for standing up for human rights," she said. "Human rights defenders and bloggers, arrested solely for their peaceful activities, must be released immediately."
But reports indicate that the government is working to address the eruption of grass-roots rage and resolve widespread dissatisfaction with what is seen by many as poor living conditions.
At least 21 people have been killed during protests over high unemployment, alleged corruption, rising prices, and limitations on rights in the North African nation perched on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea.
The wave of demonstrations was sparked this month by the suicide of an unemployed college graduate, a man who torched himself in December after police confiscated his fruit cart.
Riots and clashes occurred on Mohamad Ali Street in the capital, Tunis, and there is a heavy presence of security forces in that area. Also, rioting erupted on Al Tadamon street in that city's suburbs. Amateur video showed security forces clashing with protests and tear gas is seen.
The videos also showed throngs of protesters packing the streets in Sousse and in Kairouan province. In Sousse, the demonstrators chanted that they will not give up protesting against government economic policies.
There were Arabic-language media reports of six deaths Thursday, reports attributed to eyewitnesses.
These fresh reports come a day after the top U.N. human rights official urged Tunisia's government to make sure its security forces stop using excessive force against protesters and investigate deaths that occurred during demonstrations.
Despite the conflict, there were signs that the government is willing to tackle a range of problems brought to its attention by protesters.
State-run TV on Thursday reported that Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali picked a new interior minister, Ahmed Qureiah, who replaces the fired Rafik Belhaj Kacem.
The president also has fired a couple of close aides, both of whom are perceived to be conservative hard-liners, said Abdel Latif Abid, a Tunisian human rights lawyer and an active member in the opposition.
TV reported that Ben Ali decided to release everyone detained in the latest events in various parts of the country, except for those who were proven to have links to violent incidents and property damages.
He has decided to form one committee to probe the violence and a second committee to look into complaints of bribery, corruption and officials' mistakes, TV reported.
Ben Ali also called on the country's two houses of parliament to meet in an emergency session and implement presidential decrees to help raise employment, create more resources to improve peoples' living and push for more investments.
Abid also told CNN that Tunisian Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi is currently meeting the opposition leaders, Mustafa Ben Jaafar, Ahmad Ibrahim and Ahmad Najib.
The sitdown is viewed by the opposition as an unprecedented step by the government toward the opposition.
In recent years, Abid said, the government has created fake opposition parties. It is the first time that the government is meeting with the real opposition, he said.
The unrest has drawn travel warnings from the U.S. State Department and attention from the al Qaeda terror network.
The State Department recommended suspending "non-essential travel" to the country and urges Americans to avoid any demonstration, even peaceful ones that can get out of hand.
"The unrest has recently spread to Tunis and all major cities, including popular tourist destinations. These spontaneous and unpredictable events have degenerated on several occasions into violent clashes between police and protesters, resulting in multiple deaths, injuries, and extensive property damage.
"While these disturbances appear to be triggered by economic concerns, and not to be directed toward Westerners, U.S. citizens are urged to remain alert to local security developments and to be vigilant regarding their personal security."
The State Department said the Tunisian government has imposed an 8 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. curfew for the greater Tunis metropolitan area.
An audio message about Tunisia surfaced on militant websites on Thursday, and it is said to be from Al Qaeda's North African affiliate, Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb.
While the message cannot be authenticated by CNN, it appeared on various radical Islamist websites known for posting similar statements, messages and recruitment videos by al Qaeda figures.
The 13 minute and 3 second long message is titled "A call of blessing & Support for the intifada of our people in Tunisia" and is said to be from AQIM leader Abdelmalek Droudkel, also known as Abu Musab Abdul Wadud.
He expressed his support for the protesters and called the clashes part of the main battle against tyranny, the crusaders and the Jews. The term "crusaders" is usually a reference to Christians.
The message said that the riots in the Tunisian capital are nothing but a "loud outcry from a victim confronting his executioner, breaking the wall of silence that overshadowed Tunisia for long decades, a long awaited outcry and a blessed uprising against tyranny."
The speaker said AQIM is ready to offer advice and encourages the protesters to defy the government as part of a larger battle to "liberate the lands of Islam" and establish sharia law.
"Now for your movement to be fruitful, your uprising should not be limited to one city or one suburb but your duty is to spread all over and extend your action to every part of the country because the tyrant can only extinguish the fire of one uprising of one limited group but not the fire of the uprising of the whole nation," the message said.
The street protests have gotten the attention of the world.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, said Wednesday that reports suggest the majority of protests have been peaceful in nature but that security forces have reacted excessively.
"It is imperative that the government launch a transparent, credible and independent investigation into the violence and killings," she said. "If there is evidence that members of the security forces have used excessive force, or conducted extra-judicial killings, they must be arrested, tried and -- if found guilty of offences -- punished according to the law. It is essential that justice is done, and is seen to be done."
She also expressed her concern over widespread arrests.
"While it is correct that people should be arrested if there is evidence they have committed crimes such as violence or arson, no one should be arrested or harassed for standing up for human rights," she said. "Human rights defenders and bloggers, arrested solely for their peaceful activities, must be released immediately."
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