IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 184 Geographical Overview | Panorama aspx?NewsID=16219&LangID=E on theuseofmercenariesitsofficial visittoTunisia – 1to8July, 2015,” http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews. ter theformationofHabib Essidadministrationin Nonetheless, on 18March2015,hardlyamonthaf- : “At War” the EnnahdhaIslamists.Suchwereslogans. ernist’ Tunisia, whichwascontrastedto thevisionof was the struggle against terrorism and for a ‘mod- dential elections,themajorchallengeannounced guiba era,followingthe2014legislativeandpresi- sian personalitiesand‘Destourians’ fromtheBour- name ofNidaaTounes, joinedin2012byleftistTuni- After thereturnofRCDinhybridformby carriedoverfromtheformerregime. (RCD), nahdha, oroftheDemocraticConstitutional Rally alternative otherthanthatoftheIslamistparty, En- Ben Alididnotmanagetoprevailandofferapolitical tion ofidentity, butthenewpartiesemergingpost- lasting threeyearsandafterreconsideringtheques- ary 2014asaresultofcolossalprocessdebate The Tunisian Constitutionwasadoptedon27Janu- one partofthepopulationandmarginalisedanother. strate thelimitsofanartificialstabilitythathasbenefited Ali, theconsequencesoflatter’spoliciesdemon- overthrow oftheheadauthoritarianregime,Ben which costthelivesof338 Tunisians, allowedthe Although thetragiceventsofTunisian Revolution, Nations Development Programme(UNDP), Development andNationalDialoguein Tunisia, United Support totheConstitutionalProcess, Parliamentary Consultant inParliamentary Development Lilia Weslaty The SecurityandPolitical Situation Tunisia’s Evolutionover thePast Months: Geographical Overview|Maghreb 1 U nited

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(UN OHCHR). “PreliminaryfindingsbytheUnitedNationsWorking Group (UN OHCHR). in termsofsheerscale.” the OHCHR, “the current scope is unprecedented have returnedfromconflictzones.Alsoaccordingto Iraq, MaliandYemen, andsome625combatants some 5,800Tunisian jihadistsareinSyria, , the HighCommissionerforHumanRights(OHCHR), According tothelatestreportfromUNOfficeof the attacksdemonstratethatitisquite“endogenous.” ism ispurportedtobeanexogenousphenomenon, In contrasttoasortofnationaldenialwherebyterror- from thatoftheprecedingauthoritarianregimes. ten aged18to35,aspiringacertainorderdifferent rorism.” Terrorists canbefoundamongTunisians, of- adding that“nocountryissafefromthethreatofter- security ofover500kilometresborderwithLibya,” Libya, citingtheneedtoensure“protectionand the President indirectly blames it on the proximity of would thenbe: ‘A war,butagainstwhom?’ Whereas “Tunisia istodayatwar.” Thelegitimatequestion of theRepublic,BejiCaidEssebsi,announcedthat On 4July, inanaddresstothepeople,President mended fortourists. a ‘country of hope’ to a ‘danger zone’ not recom- safety record.Infivemonths,Tunisia hasgonefrom ing animprovedanti-terrorismpolicy, hasaverypoor ernment, which advocated a return to order, promis- was some sixty dead and dozens injured. The gov- and touristcentreparexcellence.Allinall,thetoll ing toaNidaaTounes MPinSousse,acoastaltown On 26June,anotherattacktargetedahotelbelong- “the infideltourists.” Tunisian capitalandkill22people.Thestatedtarget: and 26managedtoentertheBardoMuseumin tacks ofitshistory. Two youngTunisians aged 20 February, Tunisia sufferedoneofthedeadliestat- 1 faction. faction. ginalised’ is growingamidanatmosphereofdissatis- social dividebetweenthe‘privileged’ andthe‘mar- tion, politicalIslamcouldbeasolutionforsome.The coexist since,giventhefailingsocioeconomicsitua- visions ofIslamarefindingitincreasinglydifficultto Tunisians areconsidered‘primarilyMuslim,’ different be referredtoasasortof‘religiouswar.’ Whereas be eliminated.ThisplungesTunisia intowhat could and makingnon-Arab,non-Muslimtouriststargetsto ing, atleastforthetimebeing,Tunisian people These massacresarethuseminentlyselective,spar- indoctrinated byterroristgroups some moneybutendupbeing to Tunisians, whogo toLibyaearn arms tradehasbecomeaccessible collapse oftheGaddafiregime, Since therevolutionand by anewenemy, theIslamicState. ‘non-Muslim’ foreigners. The lastattackwasclaimed the capital and touristareas, and arenow against Since 18March2015,theattackshavemovedto Mountains nearKasserineinTunisia’s northwest. Oqba IbnNafaaBrigadeentrenchedintheChaambi tacks claimedtobefromAQIM,namelythe as ‘injustice.’ Thefringegroup carrying outthese at- ered the source of‘taghout,’ whichcan be translated agents ofthesecurityforcesandarmy, consid- Indeed, after2011,attacksessentiallytargeted garding theirtargetsandthesecondlocations. to have made two notorious changes, the first re- Over thepastfewmonths,Tunisian terroristsseem “Taghout” The Terrorists’ EnemyIsNoLongerJustthe end upbeingindoctrinatedbyterroristgroups. Tunisians, whogotoLibyaearnsomemoneybut regime, thearmstradehasbecomeaccessibleto Since therevolutionandcollapseofGaddafi 2 ror-law-endangers-rights “Tunisia: Counterterror Law EndangersRights”, HumanRightsWatch, 31July2015, https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/31/tunisia-counterter- currency regulations.” sion of foreigncurrencynotdeclared accordingto of assetsandresourcesabroad andtheposses- ulgation of this law, in particular the non-declaration ing toforeigncurrencycommittedbeforetheprom- The billalsoallowsfor“anamnestycrimesrelat- tive Branch.” ciliation commissionunderthegovernment’sExecu- vides forthe creation ofan“arbitration and recon- except corruptionandembezzlement.” Article3pro- cial malfeasanceandcrimesinvolving public funds, es againstcivilservantsandthelikeforactsoffinan- and judgement,aswelltheexecutionofsentenc- The billoflawspecifiesthatitwillend“prosecution sembly oftheRepresentativesPeople. by theCabinetbeforebeingbroughtAs- It willsoonbediscussedandconsideredforadoption at all costs” at the 59th anniversary of independence. which hedeclaredwas“anecessitytobecarriedout onciliation intheeconomicandfinancialsphere,” do attack,heannouncedabilloflaw“nationalrec- dent oftheRepublichimself.Two daysaftertheBar- The secondpoliticaldecisionwasmadebythePresi- tions forovertwentyyears. though Tunisia has observed a moratoriumon execu- ver, thedeathpenaltyismentioned17times,al- courts to close hearings to the public[...].” up to15daysforterrorismsuspects,andpermits powers, extends incommunicado detention from 6 to forces broadandvaguemonitoringsurveillance ing toHumanRightsWatch: “Thelawgrantssecurity governmental organisationshaveasserted.Accord- necessary safeguardsagainstabuse,” eightnon- this newlaw“threatenshumanrightsandlacksthe Civil societydidnottakelongtoopposeit.Indeed, and noneagainst. laundering, with 174 votes in favour, 10 abstentions 25 July ofthebilllawagainstterrorismandmoney were made. The first concerned the adoption last deteriorating situation,twomajorpoliticaldecisions ing socialmovements,firstandforemost.Duetothe the Republicdeclaredastateofemergency, accus- Eight daysaftertheSousseattack,Presidentof Transitional Justice Political DecisionsImperilHumanRightsand

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IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 185 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama IEMed. Mediterranean Yearbook 2015 186 Geographical Overview | Maghreb Panorama agercenter.com/2015/04/22/tunisie-des-ong-tirent-la-sonnette-dalarme-suite-a-la-multiplication-des-tentatives-dimmigration-clandestine/ and findsitselfatarevolutionary impassebetween Nidaa Tounes, foritspart,thushasaheavymission as alaboratory. bloody one,thesefanaticsseemtobeusingTunisia shall be‘punished.’ Inthenameof their ‘utopia,’ a countries areplungingthe‘Arab world’ intochaos the corrupt will be eliminated and those whose Caliphate, where the poor will no longer be poor, selves as‘vigilantesforabetterworld,’ thatofthe ing inthefaceof‘religiousfanatics’ who seethem- cradle oftheArabrevolutions,israpidlydeteriorat- The security andpolitical situation ofTunisia, the Is Tunisia MovingBackwards? transitional justice. the bill’s compliance with international standards for Council ofEurope’sVenice Commissionregarding 31 Julythatithadrequestedtheopinionof power, theIVDannouncedatapressconferenceon dency oftheRepublicandupheldbypartyin In thefaceofthisbilllawputforthbyPresi- ignated bytheMinistries,” sheemphasised. under theExecutiveBranch,itsmembersbeingdes- tice. It cannotbeanarbitrationalbodybecauseitis ence andneutralityofanybodycarryingoutjus- goes againsttheunderlyingprinciplesofindepend- judge andjury,” denouncedtheIVD Chair. “Thebill as per law. With this bill of law, “the State would be of transitionaljusticeinallitsdomainsandtimelines vides that the Statecommits to respect the process Paragraph 9ofArticle148theConstitutionpro- tional” shedeclared. nomic andfinancialreconciliationisanti-constitu- more sosinceweconsiderthisbillfornationaleco- falls withinourprerogatives.It’sregrettable,allthe consultation withtheIVDeventhoughreconciliation received anofficialcopy. Thebillwasdraftedwithout “The Commissionknewofthebilllawbutnever bill, which, she states, contravenes the Constitution. ing thetransitionperiod,vehementlycriticisedthis in chargeof justice dur- Dignity Commission (IVD), Sihem BenSedrine,ChairwomanoftheTruth and 3 “Des ONGtirentlasonnetted’alarme,” DirectInfoand AgenceTunis Afrique Presse,DirectInfoWMC, and fulfiltheaspirationsof newgeneration. cious circle,apoliticalalternativeisslowtoappear pointed youthinsearchofutopia.To breakthevi- towards this sort of ‘collective suicide’ by disap- to beadoptingthesamepolicyasBenAliregime Through itschoices,theEssidadministrationseems plication ofclandestineemigrationattempts. sounded thealarmbellsinAprilregardingmulti- number some1,600.Numerousorganisationshave In thefirstquarterofthisyear,clandestineemigrants called democraticlands. them in‘jihad,’ otherscrossingtheseatoreachso- the State,insearchofacertain‘dignity’;some dangerous destinies,riskingtheirlives,goingagainst basically twotypesofTunisian youthhavechosen Since 2011andthedownfallofGaddafiregime, sink intochaos. rise topowerofNidaaTounes, thecountrycould known. Aftertherevolutionandaboveallwith had’ were absent,thenumberofTunisians leavingfor‘ji- In a Tunisia where freedom of expression and justice literal readingoftheKoranic text. for freedomandsocialjusticebutcontaminatedbya the monsterwasengendered:young,poor,thirsting less, it was in the womb of the ‘stable’ Tunisia that least therewerenoattacksorterrorism.” Neverthe- better tokeepBenAliafterall,” since“underhim,at Certain nostalgicsconsiderthat“itwouldhavebeen risk ofstatecollapse. defending itsprohumanrightschoices,giventhe geopolitical context limits civil society’s latitude in contravene theConstitution.Moreover,unstable lines oftencontestedbycivilsocietyanddeemedto ecutive programme along security and economic have notbalkedandpursuetheirlegislativeex- Essid administrationandtheNidaaTounes party In thefaceofthis‘order’ advocatedbyterrorists,the tending tosupportBenAli’sformerpolicies. motivation ofterroristswishingtosupplantaregime nesspeople accusedofcorruption,couldboostthe one advocating‘nationalreconciliation’ withbusi- political decisionsofNidaaTounes, inparticularthe ‘violent jihadistsandadissidentcivilsociety.’ The after the11Septemberattacksremainsun- 22 April2015, http://directinfo.webman- 3