The multiple repercussions of the war in Syria and Iraq, including the expansion of Daesh (also known as the Islamic State) to North Africa, and the many indirect effects of regional turmoil on the Tunisian economy via decreasing tourism and investment place further stumbling stones on Tunisia’s path to becoming the Arab world’s first full-fledged democracy. [...] Contacts and cooperation between Libyan and Tunisian militants, dating back to the 1980s, have been flourishing since 2011 via the opening of the political space in Tunisia and the establishment of civil strife-torn Libya as a sanctuary for militant fighters from across the region. [...] LIBYAN REFUGEES The impact of migrants that moved to Tunisia following the outbreak of the Libyan conflict is the subject of much controversy and is closely fol- lowed by the local Tunisian media. [...] While routinely warning of the dangers of return- ing foreign fighters and security spill over from Libya, the Tunisian government has been largely reactive and heavy-handed in its response and measures have included enacting a state of emer- gency, curfews, border closures, travel restric- tions, and widening the power of the security forces.27 Domestic debates in Tunisia over the past year have. [...] At a moment of great fragility for Tunisia’s transi- tion, the radicalisation of jihadist movements is growing at much greater speed than both the polit- ical will and the financial means of the Tunisian authorities to address socio-economic problems in the country’s vulnerable border areas.29 Therefore, the international community must assist the Tunisian government even more decisively, includ-.
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- Published in
- Madrid, Spain
