Tunisia: Understanding Conflict 2012 - Johns Hopkins School of ...

Ammar’s remarks do provide a helpful framework for understanding the actions of the
Tunisian military during the first year of the transition.
The Tunisian Military during the Transition
Since January 2011, the Tunisian military has greatly expanded the scope of its
responsibilities, taking on both traditional defense roles and engaging in activities
normally reserved for the police or other domestic security institutions. Remarkably, the
military has managed this expansion of its engagement in domestic affairs while
remaining extremely popular, a testament both to the relative skill with which it has
operated and to the enormous reserve of good will the institution acquired due to its
actions during the revolution.
The Libyan Civil War that took place throughout the spring and summer of 2011
represented a significant security challenge for Tunisia. Tens of thousands of Libyan
refugees fled to Tunisia and were given refuge in makeshift camps and private homes
throughout the country. The conflict in Libya created substantial incentives for the
smuggling of fuel into Libya, and the army was enlisted to crack down on the practice.
Further, after the fall of the Libyan regime, numerous armed groups loyal to Qaddafi
infiltrated Tunisia, sparking clashes with Tunisian forces. Such clashes have persisted as
recently as February 2012. The army has also maintained its traditional leading role in
the response to natural disasters, as it did in the relief efforts following heavy snowfall in
the north of the country in early 2012. For a military estimated to have only 35,800 total
personnel (International Institute for Strategic Studies 2012, 351-2), these combined
challenges represent a difficult test. It is therefore no wonder that the army has recently
requested increased U.S. assistance both in controlling the Libyan border and for the
overall modernization of its equipment.
Nonetheless, these challenges did not prevent the Tunisian military from playing a
significant role in domestic security as well. During the October elections for the
Constituent Assembly, the military deployed at least one army agent to every polling
place in the country. Combined with a number of troops held in reserve in case of
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