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

Recommendations
While the military has played a very positive role in post-revolution Tunisia, a number of
important steps still need to be taken in order to ensure the continued and harmonious
development of both military and civilian institutions. These recommendations should be
considered alongside the suggestions for broader security sector reform made in the
chapter by Machado.
Short-Term Recommendations
• To the Tunisian Ministry of Defense: Immediately establish a coordinating council
to oversee and review all actions taken by the military in support of domestic
stability. Publicly verify that all actions taken by the military to end strikes or
otherwise repress expressions of dissent are hereafter ordered and authorized by the
elected government.
• To the Tunisian Armed Forces: Publicly acknowledge that all actions hereafter
taken in support of domestic stability are ordered and authorized by the elected
government.
• To the United States Government: Provide the Tunisian military with increased
logistical support and materiel to secure the Tunisia-Libya border and allow
Tunisian forces to focus on their domestic challenges.
Medium-Term Recommendations
• To the Tunisian Government: Create a Tunisian National Security Council to
provide a formal forum for the coordination of policy between civilian and
military officials. Ensure that senior Tunisian military officials have the permanent
voice in the creation of national security policy that they lacked under the Ben Ali
regime. Ensure that civilian officials nonetheless have the dominant role in this
National Security Council.
• To the United States and French Governments: Focus military assistance to Tunisia
primarily on officer training programs, technical advice, and the upgrading and
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