Kingsley Kobo, AfricaNews reporter in Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Tunisia's President, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, 73, has been asked to rest for five days after contracting a throat illness, the north African country's official news agency, TAP, said on Monday.
Ben Ali's personal physician "advised him to take a period of five days' rest after an acute inflammation of the pharynx," TAP quoted a presidency spokesman as saying.
Spain's King Juan Carlos was due to visit Tunisia on Tuesday but his trip has been cancelled, a diplomatic source said.
Ben Ali, who has been in power for 22 years, won a fifth term in office last month with 89.62 percent of the vote.
Tunisia just like Morocco is a loyal ally of the West in its fight against Islamic extremism.
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