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

Internal Security and Reform in Tunisia
Colin Machado
Although the majority of international attention since the Tunisian revolution has been
focused on macroscopic political change, the issue of security reform remains equally
prominent among the concerns of Tunisian citizens. Among the many causes of the
revolution, it is important to bear in mind that its foremost initial objective was not
primarily a direct indictment of Ben Ali himself, but a rejection of his overbearing
domestic security apparatus. Only when it became clear that the long-time president was
unwilling to rein in his police did the populace turn its attention to his ouster.
Through the prism of international media, the Arab Spring has been cast to fit the
narrative of a common people uniting to overthrow their oppressive dictators in favor of
real democracy. In fact, the motives, identities, and objectives of the persons involved are
much more varied and complex not just from one nation to another, but within each
nation as well. This chapter intends to examine in particular the state of the domestic
security sector before, during, and after the Tunisian revolution and its current prospects
for reform. It will begin with a description of the organization of the sector and its
methods of operation, then explain the role of the police in the revolution, and finally
explore specific policy recommendations for the security sector in Tunisia.
Institutional History and Organization
There exist three primary elements in the organization of internal security forces in
Tunisia, one of which, the so-called “political police,” was formally abolished in March
following the revolution. The other two forces are the regular, or administrative, police
and the Tunisian National Guard, which comprises a mere 12,000 men 36 and has been
largely irrelevant to the overall security apparatus. Although no official personnel counts
are available due to the clandestine nature of the political police, which until recently
36 International Institute for Strategic Studies. The Military Balance 2008.
153