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

U.S. Assistance in Tunisia
Cody Dietrich
High levels of unemployment in Tunisia in 2010 helped instigate the massive street
demonstrations that eventually overthrew Ben Ali’s 2010 government. Some of these
demonstrations continue in 2012 and have a destabilizing effect on the country: reducing
national investments and limiting employment. Tunisia is working to improve its image
to attract various forms of investment and assistance from abroad, including the U.S.
government and its associated aid programs. The U.S. understands the importance of a
successful democratic transition in Tunisia and will provide assistance but is limited by
assistance needs from other more volatile concerns in the region. Tunisia has other
options in the region for assistance, but these will not exceed the mutual political and
economic benefits from U.S. assistance. The following chapter will demonstrate how the
current struggle for prosperity in Tunisia is constrained by instability that discourages
fresh investment, and will highlight how U.S. assistance might best help Tunisia
overcome its barriers to a successful democratic transition.
Tunisia’s View on Barriers to U.S. Assistance
Tunisians understand that in order to attract investment they will need to break the
vicious cycle in which unemployment inspired protests create instability, which
discourages fresh investment. The interim government has appealed to the protestors for
a “truce” to cover six months in which low-paid or jobless workers will refrain from
conducting public disorder. Its implementation in January of 2012 was to break the cycle
that is seen as limiting investment from countries like the U.S. that are uncertain about
the new government’s ability to create order. Investors from these countries are waiting
to see if Tunisia stabilizes before they commit high risk investment into the economy.
The first month of the truce produced very few signs of stemming the protests. This
situation among others raises the question whether the government is failing to project a
stable environment that will attract foreign assistance.
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