A Tunisian died today after setting himself alight in a town where a self-immolation last year sparked protests that toppled the president and led to a regional uprising, a hospital said.
The 33-year-old set himself alight in the central town of Sidi Bouzid as UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon visited Tunisia just over two months after president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was ousted in the uprising.
The reasons for the protest by Khaled Ezzafouri, who was single and unemployed, were unclear.
He suffered third degree burns and was transferred to a hospital in the eastern city of Sfax but was dead on arrival, a hospital official said.
The self-immolation in the same town in December of a fruit and vegetable seller set off protests that spread across the country, gaining momentum despite a deadly security forces crackdown.
Around 219 people were killed and 510 injured during the violent protests, according to UN figures.
Ben Ali's overthrow led to a wave of uprisings across the Arab world, including one that toppled Egypt's Hosni Mubarak on February 11 with others under way in countries including Libya, Yemen and Bahrain.
Ban, who arrived in Tunisia late yesterday, was due today to meet in Tunis the mother of the fruit seller, Mohammed Bouazizi, who died days after his self-immolation in December.
The 26-year-old man doused himself with petrol and set himself alight in desolate Sidi Bouzid, which is about 260 kilometres south of the capital, after being humiliated by police.
He has become a hero among dissidents in the Arab world and there have since been similar suicide attempts in Algeria, Egypt and Mauritania.
Ban is also due during his 24-hour visit to Tunisia to meet the country's interim President Foued Mebazaa, who replaced Ben Ali, and other leaders.
