Discover Yahoo! With Your Friends

close
 

YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Violence plagues Tunisia's politics 2 years later

    TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Two years after the revolution that overthrew an authoritarian president and started the Arab Spring, Tunisia is struggling with high unemployment and rising violence in its politics.

    After sounding the alarm for months over the rise of religious extremists, the opposition now warns that the new threat to this North African country's democratic transition are vigilante bands allied to the elected government.

    Tunisia has yet to witness the almost daily clashes characterizing nearby Egypt's rowdy politics or the rampant assassinations and kidnappings of militia-plagued Libya to the east, but the rise in violence is a shock for this once calm, largely middle class North African nation of 10 million.

    The country's stability and prosperity came at the price of a brutal decades-long dictatorship that was finally overthrown in a popular uprising on Jan. 14, 2011. In its aftermath, a lot of pent-up tensions have spilled out.

    Differences of political opinion or just demands for jobs and benefits are increasingly being expressed through violence, threatening Tunisia's efforts to become a democracy after a half century of dictatorship. Just last week, residents of Ben Guerdane, a border town with Libya, battled police and set fire to cars for three days protesting the closure of the frontier on which their livelihood depends.

    The violence is being exacerbated by the emergence of radical groups, often religious, that seek to "impose their political and ideological model on society through a variety of means," said Slahhedine Jourchi, an analyst of Islamist movements in Tunisia.

    Following the country's first free elections in October 2011, a moderate Islamist party allied with two secular parties came to power and began the process of writing a new constitution, but the country is still plagued by economic woes and sporadic violence — often by religious extremists.

    The latest groups in the spotlight are the Leagues for the Protection of the Revolution, which the opposition claims are allied with the government and used to attack its opponents.

    Their rise comes just as the salafis, ultraconservative Muslims that often violently pushed for a more pious society, have gone underground following a government crackdown in the wake of their Sept. 14 attack on the U.S. Embassy over an amateur film made in the U.S. attacking the Prophet Muhammad.

    Instead, the violence seems now to be coming from these new leagues, which have about 300 chapters throughout the country and have been implicated in attacks on the main union headquarters as well as several meetings of a new opposition party that includes figures from the previous regime.

    "They are a threat to the civil peace and the democratic transition in Tunisia," said Samir Taieb, an opposition member in the legislative assembly. He said that many of the leagues' members have been arrested committing acts of violence, only to be released because of their political connections.

    Many opposition figures are calling for the leagues to be dissolved.

    The groups were legalized five months ago and grew out of the neighborhood watch committees that sprung up in the chaotic days after the revolution to protect residential areas, explained Mohammed Maalej, the head of the leagues' central body.

    "We are the conscience of the people and a pressure force to achieve the goals of the revolution, discover corruption and denounce its perpetrators — something the current political leadership has yet to accomplish," he told The Associated Press.

    He maintained that the group has "never advocated violence" and if certain members were involved "we are the first to condemn them."

    On Monday, thousands flooded the streets of the capital Tunis to commemorate the 2nd anniversary of the revolution, demonstrating both for and against the Islamist dominated government. There were a few isolated clashes, but for the most part the day remained peaceful.

    That hasn't always been the case for these leagues, however, and their detractors list a litany of incidents.

    In October, league members in the southern town of Tataouine clashed with a local union, resulting in the death of union head Lutfi Narguez. The autopsy said the cause of death was a heart attack brought on by being subject to violence.

    Members of the league also allegedly attacked the home of Kamel Eltayef, a businessman with ties to the old regime that has since been working with the opposition.

    One of the main targets of their ire, however, is a new political party called Nida Tunis (Tunisia's Call) led by Caid Beiji Essebsi, a veteran politician that ran the interim government until elections.

    Many figures associated with the previous regime have flocked to the party, prompting accusations that they seek to restore the old system.

    A political meeting of the party on the resort island of Djerba was besieged by hundreds of alleged members of the leagues on Dec. 23, according to party members.

    In the face of what it describes as a lack of government concern, Nida Tunis has threatened to file a suit against the leagues with the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity.

    The most serious incident involving the leagues, however, came in early December, when men described as being part of the leagues assaulted with clubs and stones a march at the main union headquarters in the capital Tunis.

    The powerful union, which has emerged in recent months as a focus of opposition to the government, threatened to shut the country down with a general strike until a compromise deal was finally struck. Jourchi, the analyst, warned that the leagues are "becoming a factor for instability," pointing out that their job of "protecting the revolution," should be the business of the state.

    As part of the ceremonies marking the anniversary, the government and union leaders signed a "social pact" Monday promising to boost the economy and end the destructive strikes.

    The rise of violence and internal tensions in Tunisia couldn't come at a worse time as the situation outside its borders deteriorates, with al-Qaida newly active in the Sahara, partly fueled by the weapons pouring out of Libya's civil war. In December, police reported finding two militant training camps near the Algerian border, likely to prepare disaffected Tunisians to join the jihads south in Mali or neighboring Algeria.

    "With the situation in Libya, the Algerian border and in northern Mali, the threat posed by armed groups is likely to increase," Jourchi said.

     

    25 comments

    • DEWEY  •  1 day 0 hrs ago
      arab spring?? well, we know it brings NO jobs, NO economy, an keeps everything in turmoil. it kind of like satan promising ice water in hell for your burned,parched tongue, just NO hope of any relief.
    • Naomi  •  8 hrs ago
      Based on this article it would seem that the United States is nothing compared to these other countries...Constant protests, Asassination Attempts, Violence. And with all of this going on the unemployment rate is high and people are more concerned with being volatile. There is not authoritative figure in this country to take the regins and put an end to all of this.
    • Mladen  •  2 hrs 36 mins ago
      Tunisia is among most secular and liberal Arab countries and still have problems... It is not question about need of democratic reform of Arab world, including GCC countries, but questions wisdom of "regime change first" strategy in Syria. Syria has lot more complex ethnic and confessional make-up and could easily turn into another Afghanistan, particularly if Salafism which is not acceptable even to most Sunnis, is pushed as new ideology.
    • John  •  19 hrs ago
      I wonder , are there any islamists who can actually see the miserable failure of political islam . Or do they all continue to blame everybody else for islam's shortcomings . ???
    • Matthew  •  14 hrs ago
      When will these people get it already?? Jeez.....it never ends!
    • Matthew  •  14 hrs ago
      so much for Arab Spring. Endless $#ging barbaric madness in these countries....
    • jerry frisque  •  15 hrs ago
      Just another in a long line of foreign policy faliures brought to you by the manufactuers
      of the Audacity of Hope (patents pending.)

      For those of you in Tunisia, Libya or Egypt who are totally disgusted with fact that
      your secular governments were or are bring replaced by muslim extremists, feel
      free to register a complaint. Just call 1-202-456-1414 and ask for Barak. I'm sure
      he'll be more than willing to take your call.
    • Rich  •  17 hrs ago
      "By Means of Jihad – Allah Tortures [the Infidels] with Killing" "The question now on the agenda is, how is the torture Allah wants done at our hands to be carried out?… This torture will not, in any way, be carried out by means of preaching [Da’wa], because preaching is activity of exposure, aimed at clarifying the truth in a way that makes it more easily acceptable. Preaching has nothing to do with torture; Jihad is the way of torturing [the infidels] at our hands." "By means of Jihad, Allah tortures them with killing; by means of Jihad, Allah tortures them with injury; by means of Jihad, Allah tortures them with loss of property; by means of Jihad, Allah tortures them with loss of ruling. Allah tortures them by means of Jihad – that is, with heated war that draws its fire from the military front…"

      "The Tortures Will Bring the Infidels to the Path of Righteousness" "Material power is [to be] confronted with material power, and ideological power is [to be] confronted with ideological power… It would be idiocy to rely on the power of the truth in the face of F-16s. Allah is capable of destroying His enemy without anyone’s mediation and without anyone’s help, as His capability is absolute and unsurpassed. In spite of all the characteristics of power at their command, these infidel states are no more than a handful of creatures on the speck of dust called Planet Earth… [But] Jihad serves as a trial by suffering for the Muslims by means of the infidels, and for the infidels by means of the Muslims." "The Muslims’ trial by suffering is manifested in Jihad’s being the instrument by which it is possible to differentiate between the believers and the hypocrites… The infidels’ trial by suffering is manifested in Jihad being an exemplary lesson in values, delivered by a group of the pioneers of the Islamic nation, in a practical presentation"

      "Many of the infidels will be shocked; their emotional entity will be shaken; and perhaps some of them will repent and learn their lesson. In addition, Jihad is a means of defeating them, and perhaps by means of this victory… the tortures will bring them back to the path of righteousness…"
    • Gene  •  20 hrs ago
      USA wise central planners forgot to tell you that they are spreading democracy - tyranny of the majority that elected Hitler, Hamas, Mosrsi and created racist Affirmative Action laws. Sorry, Arabs, USA cannot spread what it itself does not have - capitalism & individual liberties.
    • PKM  •  1 day 5 hrs ago
      we all knew the arab spring would not be good, what country has it been good for?
    • Stars React To Jodie Foster's Golden Globes Speech

      Hollywood was quick to weigh in on Jodie Foster's Cecil B. DeMille Award acceptance speech at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, where the actress spoke candidly about her private life.

    • Who Is Newly Single Jennifer Lawrence Bringing To The Golden Globes?

      Jennifer Lawrence, who reportedly split from fellow actor Nicholas Hoult, won't be going to the Golden Globes solo.

    • Ryan Gosling Reveals His Perfect Day Activity -- Knitting!

      Ryan Gosling may be a major film star, but his perfect day involves something entirely unglamorous -- yarn and knitting needles.

    • Deaf Twins Going Blind Euthanized

      Two deaf twin brothers in Belgium were euthanized by their doctor after realizing they were going blind and would be unable to see each other ever again, their physician says. The  45-year-old men, whose names have not been made public, were legally put to death...

    • Golden Globes Best Dressed!

      Hollywood's biggest stars dazzled at Sunday's Golden Globes stepping out in style - find out Access Hollywood's picks for the night's best dressed.

    • Tennis-Stosur survives on day of carnage for Australia

      MELBOURNE, Jan 14 (Reuters) - A nervous Sam Stosur survived the first test of her annual battle with stage-fright at the Australian Open, but the spotlight is set to focus on the ninth seed after all of her compatriots were dumped from the first round on Monday. Australia's hopes of a home-bred champion at the year's first grand slam have gone unfulfilled for 34 years and, with Lleyton Hewitt crashing out against eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic late in the evening, appeared set for further frustration. ...

    • Del Potro realistic about hopes of gate-crashing top four

      MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Juan Martin del Potro, the only player outside the "big four" of men's tennis to have won a grand slam in the last eight years, remained circumspect about his chances of breaking back into the elite after a winning start at the Australian Open on Tuesday. The tall Argentine lost a year of his career to a wrist injury after winning the U.S. Open in 2009 and since his return, has failed to rediscover the heights of form he reached at Flushing Meadows three-and-a-half years ago. ...

    • Woods plays down rivalry with good friend McIlroy

      ABU DHABI (Reuters) - This week's Abu Dhabi Championship is billed as a desert duel between Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods but the American says theirs is a new rivalry and cannot yet compare to past on-course battles he has had. Fourteen-times major winner Woods believes it will take time to develop the same sort of rivalry with world number one McIlroy that he has experienced with the likes of Phil Mickelson, Vijay Singh and Ernie Els. ...

    Follow Yahoo! News