Saïda Sassi (1921 – 25 July 2007) was a Tunisian

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

. She was a key associate of her uncle

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

Habib Bourguiba Habib Bourguiba (3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian politician and statesman who served as the Head of Government of Tunisia, prime minister of the Kingdom of Tunisia from 1956 to 1957, and then as the first president of Tunisia from 1 ...

during his tenure from 1957 to 1987.

Early life

Saïda Sassi was born in 1921 in Monastir. She was orphaned at age six and raised by her uncle,

. Unable to invest in her studies, she obtained only a study certificate. After the independence of Tunisia and the accession of her uncle to the presidency of the Republic, she entered

Carthage Palace Carthage Palace () is the presidential palace of Tunisia, and the official residence and seat of the President of Tunisia. It is located along the Mediterranean Sea at the current city of Carthage, near the archaeological site of the ancient c ...

because Bourguiba asked her to live there with her husband. She quickly assumed important functions and was responsible for monitoring the health of the president.

Career

Sassi was a pioneer in the struggle for the independence of Tunisia and for the

emancipation of women Women's rights are the rights and entitlements claimed for women and girls worldwide. They formed the basis for the women's rights movement in the 19th century and the feminist movements during the 20th and 21st centuries. In some countries, ...

. With her arrival in

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

, she became a pillar of the presidential palace and succeeded in influencing her uncle, President Bourguiba. Her role was to ensure his safety; for over thirty years, she even slept next to his bed. She was considered a source of political conspiracies. She was responsible for maintaining her uncle's image by informing Tunisians that the president was more resistant than the media would admit.

Private life

Relationship with Habib Bourguiba

She had strong ties with the president and played an ambiguous role in the

presidential palace A presidential palace is the official residence of the president in some countries. Some presidential palaces were once the official residences to monarchs in former monarchies that were preserved during those states' transition into republics. ...

. She allowed herself to interfere in the president's sexual life by recruiting women for him. Bourguiba devoted time to her and spent his days in her company, after meetings with political figures. After he was dismissed in 1987 for senility by Prime Minister

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, Bourguiba left power and was transferred to the state residence of Mornag. Sassi remained loyal to him and continued to visit him until she moved to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

Relationship with Wassila Bourguiba

Sassi's relationship with the First Lady and second wife of the President, Wassila Bourguiba, was tense since Sassi had the right to sleep at her uncle's bedside and had a say in his affairs, while Wassila was sidelined. The rivalry ended in 1986 with the divorce of Habib and Wassila.

End of life

A year after Bourguiba left power in 1987, Sassi settled in Paris. In 1995, she discovered that she had

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

. She then returned to her native country and ended her days there, dying on 25 July 2007. Her

funeral A funeral is a ceremony connected with the final disposition of a corpse, such as a burial or cremation, with the attendant observances. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember and respect th ...

at the Jellaz Cemetery was sparsely attended, mainly by relatives and friends.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sassi, Saïda 1921 births 2007 deaths Tunisian politicians