President of Tunisia declared 30-day state of emergency

President of Tunisia Beji Caid Essebsi on 4 July 2015 declared state of emergency in the country for 30 days.

The decision was taken against the backdrop of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) gun attack on 26 June 2015 on Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba on the Mediterranian coast and calls for more such attacks by the militant organisation during the holy month of Ramadan.

In the attack, 38 foreign tourists were killed belonging to Britain, Germany, Belgium and France among others.

A state of emergency temporarily gives the government more flexibility and the army and police more authority in dealing with suspected terror incidents.

The Tunisian massacre (in Africa) is part of the trio of attacks executed by the ISIS across three continents that took place on the same day in France (Europe) and Kuwait (Asia).

While an attack near a chemical plant at Leon in France decapitated one individual, blast near a Shiite-affiliated mosque in Kuwait killed 25 people.

Comment

Tunisia, the cradle of the Arab Spring grassroots movement, last had a state of emergency in 2011 that was subsequently lifted in March 2014. It was imposed during the historic uprising against the then president Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali who was in power since 1987.

The pro-democracy movement in Tunisia led to the resignation of Ben Ali in 2011 and triggered similar movements for enhanced individual freedom and democracy across the Arabic-speaking region in North Africa and the Middle East.

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