Brussels, 23/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - In the wake of the deadly terrorist attack on 18 March, Tunisia is taking stock, not just of its counter-terrorism capabilities but also of the support offered by its international partners, in particular the EU.
Donald Tusk, European Council president, and Federica Mogherini, EU high representative, will travel to Tunis on 31 March to discuss these two issues (see EUROPE 11279). They will repeat the EU's willingness to hold a security “dialogue” with Tunisia, which finds itself under pressure because of the situation in Libya and the effects domestically of this situation and which realises that there are serious deficiencies in its security system. The EU has already said it is “determined to support real reform of the security sector, based on the provisions of the new constitution that establishes a modern, democratic rule of law”. EU Anti-terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove was in Tunis at the end of February and offered EU logistical and technical support.
At the meeting of the EU-Tunisia Association Council in Brussels on 17 March, the parties agreed on direct support accompanying reform of the security sector. The EU called on Tunisia to “reform current anti-terrorist legislation and adopt standards in line with democratic progress”. The parliament was discussing this when the terrorist attack took place and was probably the target of the Bardo attack.
For the EU, there are no legal impediments to cooperation since Tunisia has signed the main ones among the Hague conventions. And with no further ado, member states, including France, Belgium and Italy, along with the United States and neighbouring Algeria pledged to improve means of tackling terrorist networks and exchanging intelligence.
In the background, there is Libya and the collapse of all state authority. The fear is real and serious that terrorists may slip into Tunisia in the midst of the flood of refugees (one third of the Libyan population is now in Tunisia, Foreign Minister Taieb Baccouche has said). The EU said on 17 March that it was “seriously concerned” by this problem, all the more so as these same jihadists could join the mass of illegal immigrants trying to make the crossing into Italy. The EU said that “Libya's neighbours have a key role” and should “help bring the parties to the negotiating table”. It is persuaded that “only dialogue” will bring Libya a “lasting solution to the conflict”. On 17 March, the EU invited Tunisia to agree to a “coordinated international response”. The only possible solution is political, Tunisia made clear.
Beji Caid Essebsi, president of the republic, answering questions on Sunday, said that, overall, Tunisia is “satisfied” but he feels that there is a need to go beyond “moral support” as Tunisia “especially needs investment and economic development”. The country's priority is to reduce social pressure which has increased frustration and made it easier for Islamist activists to recruit young people, in despair at the scale of the crisis, and send them to Libya or Syria or build “sleeper cells”, the existence of which the president now says he has proof. He was saddened at the weakness of the support in Deauville (May 2011) and regretted that the $25 billion promised by the G8 had failed to materialise. While Tunisia promised a five-year reform plan, “not much” has been done from the other side, “nothing of any significance”, the president said, though he acknowledged that “it's true that we all have our problems”. However, “security in the Mediterranean is Europe's”. He also drew attention to the issue of debt and thanked the member states which are talking about converting the debt owed to them. He stated, too, that, were it to be proposed that “Tunisia become a major ally of NATO, we will agree”. In conclusion he said that he wished that Europe would cease from “Islamophobia” (our translation throughout). (Fathi B'Chir)