TUNIS, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian soldiers dispersed a sit-in protest on Saturday in southeastern region after protesters stormed a petrol station in the desert, local sources told Xinhua.
The military fired warning shots to disperse the crowd, while respecting the peaceful aspect of the movement, a source said on condition of anonymity.
This sit-in protest, supported by a group of civil society and non-government organizations, has lasted dozens of days in the commune of Al Kamour in the province of Tataouine, the source said.
The protest aims to "stimulate the government's awareness of the urgent needs of this region, including equitable development and social justice in terms of employability," according to the coordinator of the sit-in.
Despite a series of measures announced by Tunisia's Minister of Employment Imed Hammami, many protesters still called the government's response insufficient.
An agreement reached between the government and the protesters demands recruitment of 1,000 people in oil companies from June 2017, and 500 more by the end of 2018.
In addition, the government has injected 50 million dinars (20.5 million U.S. dollars) into an annual investment fund.
