FOCUS ON
TUNISIA
Click here to sign up for free weekly email
Sign up today
Tunisia braces for return of militants from war zones, while at odds with Germany over deportation of Berlin attack perpetrator
January 10, 2017 | The North Africa Journal | By Hakim Briki | UN data suggests that some 4,000 Tunisian nationals are fighting alongside Islamic insurgency groups in war zones. They are between 1,000 and 1,500 in Libya, 200 in Iraq, 60 in Mali and 50 in Yemen. The...
Tunisia in Retrospect and the Tough Choices Ahead
In one year, Tunisia has been tormented by no less than five large scale, dramatic terrorist attacks all perpetrated by the Islamic State. It all started on March 18, 2015, the day that two « lone wolves » stormed the Bardo museum of Tunis and opened fire on a group...
Dozens Killed in Tunisia Confrontation
In what is one of the most daring border attacks to date, early this morning a group of men, coming from Libya, attacked the border town of Ben Guerdane in Tunisia. While Tunisia largely suffered from urban-style terror attacks, as militants have been confined in...
Bombing of Libya Looms as Neighboring States Seek to Seal the Borders and Build Refugee Towns
Fresh troop movements and unusual activity along the Algeria-Libya borders are clear indications of the potential for an imminent Western offensive in Libya, according to MEA Risk security trackers. The Algerian authorities, fearful for the consequences of a...
Tunisia’s Crises
Tunisia is facing a multi-faceted crisis, top of which is the ongoing unemployment protests that highlight the weakening of the Tunisian economic system and the eroding social safety nets. MEA Risk data for the period of February 01, 2016 to February 07, 2016, shows...
As Terror Becomes Part of the “New Normal” in Tunisia, Business Learns to Cope with the Terror Risk
The recent terror attacks on two hotels in Sousse and in the Bardo Museum in Tunis had a direct negative impact on the critically important tourism industry. Bookings were canceled, so did the flights that linked Tunisia to Europe, affecting thousands of jobs amid...
Maghreb Security: Easing of Tension vs. Ramadan, but Instability Remains Dangerously High
MEA Risk tracking firm says a return to a certain level of normalcy in the Maghreb region has been taking place ever since the end of Ramadan back in July. Yet the concept of normalcy and a reduction in the stress level compared to the period of Ramadan do not mean...
Tunisia Ups Security Actions to Prevent Terrorism
The past week has been very busy for the Tunisian security authorities. The recent killing of tourists in Sousse, mostly British, has raised global concern over Tunisia’s ability to secure public sites. So much so that Britain has added to Tunisia’s woes by urging its...
IS Looking to Widen North Africa Operations, says MEA Risk
There are a lot of chatters and pronouncements in various places about the Islamic State organization (Daesh) seeking to expand its presence and intensify its operations in North Africa, according to MEA Risk. Tunisia and Morocco are particularly mentioned in those...
European Military Advisors to Train Tunisian Army against Islamic State
Military sources in Tunisia say the United Kingdom is preparing to dispatch some 50 Special Forces instructors to help the Tunisians confront the Islamic State insurgents. The UK is said to be responding to pleas from the Tunisian government, which has been asking...
Terror in Tunisia and the Gloomy Outlook
The attacks recently perpetrated against two hotels in Sousse confirm that Tunisia is now in a permanent state of war, and the future looks rather gloomy. The war being waged against Tunisia is not just specific to that country, as if it were a civil war, but it is...
38 killed in attack on two tourist hotels in Sousse, Tunisia
Two armed men attacked two tourist hotels in the eastern city of Sousse, killing at least 38 Tunisians and foreign nationals and wounding 36 other people, according to the Ministry of Interior. The victims appear to be mostly British. While one of the attackers...
Tunis Museum Attack Claims at Least 19 Deaths: Background and Consequences
At least 19 people were killed in an attack and hostage-taking situation in Tunis, Tunisia today Wednesday. Among those killed were 17 tourists, most from Europe. Also among the dead were the two attackers, while a third man was arrested. The attack took place in a...
Oil Companies Reassessing their Investments in Tunisia
For weeks now rumors of major oil companies preparing to leave Tunisia have circulated in the central administration and in the media. There is no concrete information about many of such exits, but rumors are swirling specifically about Shell and ENI, while the...
Governance in Tunisia: The Challenges of Restoring the Rule of Law
Now that Tunisia has managed to rebuild its government structures and a new constitution, how is it managing its transition to stability? The very existence of democratic institutions is indeed the first step, but such institutions alone do not guarantee a smooth path...
Death toll from Libya crises in 2014 exceeds 2,600 – 71% of the region’s casualties
The year 2014 ended with at least 3,771 fatalities from Critical Incidents in the Maghreb and Sahel zones, based on MEA Risk LLC’s tracking service CIncidents. With an intense political crisis affecting Libya, that country was home for nearly 71% of the casualties,...
Maghreb MEA Risk Digest: Week Ending Jan. 18, 2015
The following review is a summary of Critical Incidents witnessed by MEA Risk Analysts and as reported in Critical Incidents Tracker. For the week ending Sunday January 18th, the Maghreb region saw a decrease in the number of Critical Incidents by a rate of -18%. The...
Tunisia: Fourth Year Anniversary of the Jasmine Revolution: Time to Celebrate and Time to Focus
Tunisia has achieved a lot. With a broad and solid consensus is emerging on the future of the country, and the secular and Islamist politicians agreeing to let the people choose, an elongated and protracted crisis has been averted as the new Parliament and new...
The Cost of Excessive Trade Regulation: How Tunisia is Losing Money
Tunisia suffers from the illegal trade of merchandise that reduces its potential for more state income. Most of illicit trade comes through its borders with Algeria and Libya. Each year, millions of dollars of illicit products enter Tunisia without control or...
Tunisia’s Presidential Elections’ Outlook: Essebsi’s Almost Guaranteed Victory
MEA Risk says the first round of the Tunisian presidential elections turned out to be democratic, transparent, free, and trouble-free. Although the two competing candidates had an important 6% difference in the results, Tunisian law requires a second round to close...
Connect
You can find us on a few social media platforms. Feel free to connect with us there.