Tunisia's Saied Blames Heatwave Outages on "Premeditated Acts," Contradicting State Utilities

As Tunisia hit 49.8°C on August 27, 2026, rotating power cuts halted water pumping stations, disrupting supplies in Mahdia and Sfax. Utility STEG cited grid stress; SONEDE cited power-dependent pumping failures. President Saied instead blamed "premeditated acts" — a claim uncorroborated by officials. Protests on August 20 reflected mounting public discontent with his rule.