Tunisia's first president Bourguiba's statue returned to Tunis

The statue of Tunisia’s first president Habib Bourguiba has been brought back to Tunis after been removed 29 years ago following orders from former president Ben Ali.

It had been removed shortly after former president Ben Ali’s coup d’etat against Bourguiba on November 7, 1987.

It was reinstalled on Monday night around the avenue where violent demonstrations took place during the 2011 revolution.

Le retour de la statue du dictateur sanguinaire Bourguiba est le clap de fin pour la “révolution Tunisienne” #TheEnd pic.twitter.com/35ySnM8mRO

— Papillon (@Papiillon) May 23, 2016

“It is back. Ben Ali shouldn’t have removed it during his presidency because the statue represents Bourguiba and Tunisia,” Tunisian resident said.

Habib Bourguiba ruled Tunisia from 1957 to 1987 after leading Tunisia to independence from France.

Former Tunisian president Ben Ali serving as Bourguiba’s prime minister during that period ousted Bourguiba after declaring that the president was too ill to govern Tunisia.