No less than three months after Tunisia concluded peaceful and successful legislative and presidential elections, the small North African country was rocked by the worst terrorist attack since the Djerba Island Synagogue attack in 2002.
The March 18 shooting at the Bardo Museum in the heart of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, killed 21 individuals, including 18 tourists. More than 40 were wounded. Two of the attackers were killed and nine individuals have been arrested for their alleged role in the attack.
Tunisia, frequently declared as one of the few Arab Spring success stories, has remained committed to consolidating and institutionalizing democratic institutions.
But the Bardo attack highlights the economy and security remain significant challenges for the nascent democracy.
Tunisia provides the largest contingent of foreign foreign fighters to Syria, Iraq and Libya, more than any other country in the world.
The Bardo Museum is a symbol of the country’s prolific history and is an iconic tourist destination. Tourism is a critical sector in the Tunisian economy, comprising seven percent of the gross domestic product. Even prior to the Bardo attack, the tourism sector was still reeling from the instability in the country that followed the post-Arab Spring transition period. Wednesday’s attack will likely be a significant setback for the country that finally appeared to be getting back on its feet.
The Bardo attack comes on the heels of the government cracking down on extremists in Tunisia to improve the overall security conditions in the country. Tunisian officials reported early last month they had arrested 32 militant Islamists, some of whom had recently returned from fighting in Syria.
In late February Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said, “Counter-terrorism forces foiled plots to carry out spectacular attacks against vital installations, including the Interior Ministry, security stations and civilian buildings in the capital Tunis.”
Tunisia, which is roughly the territorial size of Florida and the home of 10 million people, provides the largest contingent of foreign fighters to Syria, Iraq and Libya, more than any other country in the world. More than 3,000 Tunisians have travelled to Syria to fight with terrorist groups such as ISIS and al-Qaeda linked group Jabat al-Nusra.
ISIS has already claimed credit for the attack. In an audio recording, ISIS declared “We tell the apostates who sit on the chest of Muslim Tunisia: Wait for the glad tidings of what will harm you, o impure ones, for what you have seen today is the first drop of the rain.”
Tunisia’s newly elected president, Beji Caid Essebsi, in an op-ed late last year highlighted his strategy to address Tunisia’s security challenges. The strategy includes 1) increased border control and security response (Tunisia shares a border with Libya); 2) more intelligence gathering sharing; and 3) banning foreign preachers and returning Tunisian mosques to their original spiritual function.
Despite the current government’s increased efforts to handle head-on the security challenges the country faces both internally and externally, Western governments, including the United States, have been slow to match their ongoing rhetoric of support with concrete action.
Additionally, the Bardo attack highlights the evolution of Tunisia’s security challenges. Previous post-Arab Spring attacks and thwarted attacks have been aimed at the country’s internal security forces and political leadership. While some reports indicate the attackers initially sought to attack the National Assembly (the Bardo Museum is located in the same palace complex that houses the National Assembly), and not the museum, their end-goal of disrupting and terrorizing Tunisia was successful.
The graveness of battle-hardened fighters from Syria likely seeking to return to Tunisia in an effort to build upon the initial success of the Bardo attack should be a top priority for security officials and policymakers.
The U.S. must remain strong in our partnership with Tunisia and the Tunisian people. It’s time for the U.S. to stop moving the goalposts for an enhanced partnership with and greater assistance to Tunisia. Instead, the U.S. should start establishing support and a meaningful field of cooperation with Tunisia.
