Addis Ababa - The African Union (AU) has expressed its concern with the situation in Tunisia after the departure of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
In a statement, the AU said that it strongly condemned the excessive use of force against demonstrators which had resulted in the loss of life, and stressed the need to spare no efforts to avoid any further deaths.
The AU expressed its solidarity with the people of Tunisia, and conveyed its condolences to the families of the victims and wished early recovery to the injured.
It urgently appealed for calm and an end to all acts of violence and destruction of property.
The AU also appealed to political stakeholders and the Tunisian people to work together, in unity, consensus and respect for legality, towards a peaceful and democratic transition, which will allow the Tunisian people to freely choose their leaders through free, open, democratic and transparent elections.
Clashes between people protesting against rising food costs and rampant unemployment and the police in Tunisia have killed dozens of people.
On Friday, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali left the country.
The nation-wide protest was triggered by the suicide of Mohammed Bouazizi in the southern city of Sidi Bouzid, a street vendor who set himself on fire after his fruit cart without a licence was confiscated by the police.
