Greetings Expats,
FYI-Below are reported strikes planned for the month of May. If you know of any other strikes please let us know:
May 2nd: Taxis
May 2nd, 3rd, 4th: Carriers fuel
From May 3 to 10 company employees COFICAB
May 7: Employees laboratories of higher education
May 8: The National Television
8 and May 9: Supervisors teaching S and P
8 and May 9: Drivers of trains in Tunis
8 and May 9: Employees of municipalities Medenine
15 and May 16: Basic education
Greetings Expats,
Before I start my week there are (2) types of forecasts that I am interested in:
Although the regular weather forecast for this week is not particularly interesting; we need to pay attention to the security forecast.
Expat Awareness
As in many other countries, Tunisia celebrates May 1st as Labor Day. Last year many Tunisians celebrated Labour Day by marching from the Labor Union building to Habib Bourguiba.
This year there is a lot of chatter on social media sites, online news sites, and among everyday Tunisians concerning May 1st demonstrations.
According to an online news site (Kapitalis):
“On May 1, Labour Day, there will be no lilies in Tunisia, but the havoc. With increasing calls for protests against the government Ennahdha, from political parties, organizations or simple citizens coordination.” (Translated from French)
Analysis
Apart from the major security breakdown on September 14, 2012 and the political assignation of Mr. Chokri Belaid the security trend regarding large scale protests/demonstrations usually goes like this:
Build up on social media sites + Calls to protest & threats / Met by prepared Tunisian Security forces which usually result in very minimal disturbances.
This year we anticipate more of the same activity especially on Avenue Habib Bourguiba (downtown Tunis) and Bardo (National Constituent Assembly).
Last year’s May Day Demonstrations
Moving Forward
Tunisia Security Update subscribers know the deal. We know to avoid protests. We know to monitor information (Facebook TS Update, Twitter @DavidSecurity, Blog). We know about situational awareness and expat networking.
Since large scale disruptions & security breakdowns are way beyond the control of any individual expat; we need to adopt a strategic approach to our security setup. Rather than depend on a particular plan we need to remain aware & connected.
During the next few days we’ll start seeing more and more negative news about May 1st and possible challenges ahead. By staying informed and using practical personal security techniques we will not only worry less but also enjoy Tunisia more.
Let’s stay connected and keep the conversation going.
Greetings Expats,
The activities that took place in Bizerte during these last few days provide us with good opportunity to sharpen our security awareness.
Basically, fans in Bizerte were upset over a soccer ruling. Angry youths and serious soccer fans used the information as an excuse to riot & loot.
Expat Awareness
“Important security reinforcements arrived in the early evening in the city of Bizerte after the resumption of violence and looting record targeting shops in the city.”-Tuniscope
Practical reminder:
There have been a number of demonstrations on major roads designed to cause traffic delays and disruption.-UK Embassy Tunis
Analysis
As in this case, we have seen the Tunisian security forces actively respond and neutralize a situation that had the potential to ignite wide-spread problems. The situation in Bizerte is a good example of why Expats need to maintain an active security profile.
Forecast
As we move more into the political campaign season we are going to see more “Bizerte style” incidents. Groups of young people will use breaking news as an excuse to vent, riot, and cause chaos.
Expat Empowerment
Information & Situational Awareness are still your best tools to avoid challenging situations and enjoy Tunisia.
Greetings Expats,
Great weekend with beautiful weather and lots to do. I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. My family and I visited the Matador Restrauant in Menzah V. The pizza was great and they played nice Latino music which was a special treat for me.
And now for the update…
Expat Awareness
The main reason why the scheduled 3 day fuel strike that was supposed to start today was canceled was mainly due to the fact that officials promised they would crack down on so called black market fuel traffickers.
Analysis
Today’s crack down on illegal fuel sales sparked angry protest in Jendouba. According to one report the “smugglers used cement barriers and burned tires in protest against the seizure of their goods by units of the National Guard.”
Why all the fuss? Illegal gas trafficking undercuts the local market, since Libyan and Algerian fuel is sold at a quarter of the going price in Tunisia.
Forecast
We can be sure to see more of these protests especially in cities near the Algerian and Libyan borders such as Beja and Gabes.
Moving Forward
It is highly unlikely that this style of protest will reach Tunis or other expat areas. Still we have to remember that there have been a number of demonstrations on major roads designed to cause traffic delays and disruption.
Looking ahead it’s interesting to note that the same loan which was delayed after the assassination of opposition politician Chokri Belaid in February will be signed tomorrow (16/4/2013).
Let’s keep our eyes open and continue to share updates.
Greetings Expats,
Expat Awareness
According to Reuters News:
“Police fired on Islamists attacking a police station in a southern Tunisian town, killing one person, a security source said, in the latest incident to raise religious tensions in the North African country.”
Analysis
This incident is a snap shot of the security landscape in Tunisia. On the one hand we’ve seen an improvement in terms of organization & coordination on the part of Tunisian security forces but as of late there has been a trend “salafist” related incidents.
Forecast
Tunisian security forces are demonstrating that they will not tolerate this kind of aggression. While this particular incident does not change the overall threat level; we can expect similar stories to materialize.
Moving forward
The tension between the “salafists” and security forces will continue. More importantly we have to remember to practice good situational awareness.
Let’s stay in touch and continue to share updates.
Greetings Expats,
It’s great to be back in Tunis and I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather.
Blog Changes
I’ve changed the layout of the blog with the hopes of making it more of a hub for practical and relevant security information. Our mission remains the same:
“To provide the Expat community with practical & relevant security information.”
Format
We’ll continue to provide security updates by sending out TS Blog Posts. You can also get more information by clicking on the (4) new categories on the home page:
TS Podcasts
In addition to the blog postings we’re going to provide occasional podcasts filled with insightful information.
Feedback
Remember Expats, this blog is written by an Expat 4 Expats so please feel free to share your feedback. Thank you.
