TUNISIA:TUNISIA'S GOVERNMENT called up military reservists yesterday to strengthen the army as it confronts sporadic violence across the country.
Just hours before the sound of gunshots was reported in the capital Tunis, the state news agency said soldiers who retired between 2006 and 2010 and conscripts who left the ranks in 2009 were told to report to military posts from next week. The interim government, which is tasked with preparing for free elections in six months, has accused local officials still loyal to deposed president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali of fomenting violence that led to five deaths in recent days.
With 45,000 troops, the army is considerably smaller than Ben Ali’s police and intelligence apparatus, which is estimated at more than 100,000 officers. But the military was not considered close to Ben Ali and, under the command of a popular general who is believed to have refused orders to shoot at protesters, enjoys the support of the protest movement that toppled the autocratic regime.
Gen Rachid Ammar joined street protesters in late January and described the army as the guarantor of the revolution. His officers have been tasked with maintaining order in Tunis and other cities since Ben Ali’s departure, and the call-up of reservists suggests the defence ministry plans to retain the army in a visible policing role over the coming weeks.
The death toll since last Friday rose to five yesterday as skirmishes continued between police and pro-Ben Ali groups in provincial towns, the government said. Reuters news agency reported gunshots yesterday in Tunis, where security had largely been restored over the past two weeks.
Reports suggested the governor of the Gassrine region, who was only appointed a few days ago in a purge of regional officials, stepped down on Monday under pressure from protesters who besieged his office. Protests also forced out the newly-appointed governor of Gafsa region yesterday, the official TAP news agency reported.
In a deal meant to defuse the tension, Tunisia’s biggest trade union said it had agreed with the government that all governors with ties to the ex-ruling party would be removed.
In what was described as a further move to help restore order, meanwhile, Tunisia’s parliament voted to give interim president Fouad Mebazza the power to rule by decree, allowing him to bypass parliament. Addressing the chamber, prime minister Mohamed Ghannouchi said those powers were needed to allow the government to respond quickly to the challenges it faces.
Hinting at concerns about indiscipline in the police force, the interior ministry issued a call to officers to play a part in the restoration of security. “The Ministry of Interior calls on police officers to guarantee the security of the country and to act to help all those who ask their help in case of danger,” the official news agency quoted the ministry as saying.
Public trust in the police is low because many Tunisians blame them for carrying out acts of violent repression under Ben Ali’s authoritarian rule. With western and regional governments closely watching Tunisia’s transition, the European Union – Tunisia’s biggest trading partner – said it was assembling an assistance package at the request of the authorities.
