Tunisia:The government needs to control disruption
Despite the mulitplication of protests and pressure from radical Islamists the country resists and somehow manages to escape total collapse in post-revolutionary chaos, an article in Jeune Afrique reviews the situation.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-The-gov...
The Minister of Interior Ali Larayedh of the islamic Ennhada party announced that the police presence on the central Avenue Habib Bourgiba which had been closed to traffic because of the improved securtiy situation.This was a surprise as security remains a concern for Tunisians.
There have been demonstrations in 24 governates in the country often accompanied with acts of violence with roads being cut off , administrations paralysed and the after effects of the Libyan revolution including borderincidants, arms smuggling and two incidents invloving shootouts with the police and increasing salafist agitation involving assaults against women not wearing the veil.Tunisia has long held the reputation of a law abiding secular society which observes the rights of women.
There is a feeling of insecurity which is heightened by the incidence of strikes by public sector workers against their state employers, this is beginning to resemble a permanent state of rebellion and the state assailed on all sides risks desecending into a state of continued bankruptcy and feebleness.
Following the post revolutionary euphoria the population is divided into distinct groups,the secular and the islamists the rich and the poor.There are as well those who think the revolution has achieved its end with the fall of Ben Ali and those who are still pursuing revolutionary aims.
There are also 800,000 unemployed young people in an active working population of 3.5 million, especially in the rural areas where disparities in development are most pronounced.
Poverty and under development has created deep resentment from the victims of the mafia like corruption of the previous regime.They have become the militants of a revolution they feel remains to be fully achieved.Some have socio economic grievances others, particularly the salafists, a minority of the population who are demanding what they believe is their funadmental freedom to create their own islamic revolution.The salafists were heavily repressed by Ben Ali, they seek to propogate a radical wahibite islam nationally and are present mainly in urban areas and in Bizerte. They proclaimed an islamic emirate in Sejnane 80 kms east of Bizerte.
Two hundred salafists took control and established an islamic tribunal and burnt a store selling alcohol and a music store with CD's.The small number of police were unable to react and some thought the Ennahda backed government was protecting the salafists.Women were forced to wear the niqab and the young unemployed began to grow beards.The peole are still traumatised.Another incident took place in Jandouba, about 160 km (99 miles) west of the capital.A police station was set on fire and a call for Jihad was broadcast over loudspakers.People drinking alcohol and women were assaulted for wearing "unislamic" dress.
The incidents at Manouba University provoked outrage and Nessma TV was attacked for showing the animated film Persepolis. 10,000 secular protestors marched in the centre of Tunis against this salafist aggression against women,actors, intellectuals and civil society. However, Tunisia is seen as stable compared to Egypt and Yemen and the levels of violence in Tunisia are no where near as pronounced.The question of whose civil liberties are being violated is causing tension between the secular population and the salafists.
A general strike was called in Makthar the capital of Ouled Ayar, 160 kms to the south east of Tunis on the 13-18 January.It is a city that has always been out of favour with central government and has remained largely undeveloped closed all roads out of town for five days and were finally granted an audience with the President, Moncef Marzouki to resolve their grievances and are still awaiting a response.The problems of unemployment and underdevelopment in the neglected regions of the south and east of Tunisia are one of the many challenges the government faces.
Hamadi Jebali informed the Assembly that over 12 months there had been 22,000 protest movements and 600,000 days lost to strikes in cumulative figures.The economy has lost 2.5 billion dinars and has negative growth of 1.8 per cent.
There have been demonstrations in 24 governates in the country often accompanied with acts of violence with roads being cut off , administrations paralysed and the after effects of the Libyan revolution including borderincidants, arms smuggling and two incidents invloving shootouts with the police and increasing salafist agitation involving assaults against women not wearing the veil.Tunisia has long held the reputation of a law abiding secular society which observes the rights of women.
There is a feeling of insecurity which is heightened by the incidence of strikes by public sector workers against their state employers, this is beginning to resemble a permanent state of rebellion and the state assailed on all sides risks desecending into a state of continued bankruptcy and feebleness.
Following the post revolutionary euphoria the population is divided into distinct groups,the secular and the islamists the rich and the poor.There are as well those who think the revolution has achieved its end with the fall of Ben Ali and those who are still pursuing revolutionary aims.
There are also 800,000 unemployed young people in an active working population of 3.5 million, especially in the rural areas where disparities in development are most pronounced.
Poverty and under development has created deep resentment from the victims of the mafia like corruption of the previous regime.They have become the militants of a revolution they feel remains to be fully achieved.Some have socio economic grievances others, particularly the salafists, a minority of the population who are demanding what they believe is their funadmental freedom to create their own islamic revolution.The salafists were heavily repressed by Ben Ali, they seek to propogate a radical wahibite islam nationally and are present mainly in urban areas and in Bizerte. They proclaimed an islamic emirate in Sejnane 80 kms east of Bizerte.
Two hundred salafists took control and established an islamic tribunal and burnt a store selling alcohol and a music store with CD's.The small number of police were unable to react and some thought the Ennahda backed government was protecting the salafists.Women were forced to wear the niqab and the young unemployed began to grow beards.The peole are still traumatised.Another incident took place in Jandouba, about 160 km (99 miles) west of the capital.A police station was set on fire and a call for Jihad was broadcast over loudspakers.People drinking alcohol and women were assaulted for wearing "unislamic" dress.
The incidents at Manouba University provoked outrage and Nessma TV was attacked for showing the animated film Persepolis. 10,000 secular protestors marched in the centre of Tunis against this salafist aggression against women,actors, intellectuals and civil society. However, Tunisia is seen as stable compared to Egypt and Yemen and the levels of violence in Tunisia are no where near as pronounced.The question of whose civil liberties are being violated is causing tension between the secular population and the salafists.
A general strike was called in Makthar the capital of Ouled Ayar, 160 kms to the south east of Tunis on the 13-18 January.It is a city that has always been out of favour with central government and has remained largely undeveloped closed all roads out of town for five days and were finally granted an audience with the President, Moncef Marzouki to resolve their grievances and are still awaiting a response.The problems of unemployment and underdevelopment in the neglected regions of the south and east of Tunisia are one of the many challenges the government faces.
Hamadi Jebali informed the Assembly that over 12 months there had been 22,000 protest movements and 600,000 days lost to strikes in cumulative figures.The economy has lost 2.5 billion dinars and has negative growth of 1.8 per cent.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Tunisia-The-gov...