Africa

Libya to Follow Tunisia’s Democratic Model

Tunisia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs declared that Libya should follow in the footsteps of Tunisia

June 13th, 2016
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Five years after the Arab Springs, Khemaies Jhinaoui, Tunisia’s Foreign Minister, called for the international community to play an active role both in the Tunisian and the Libyan transition towards democracy, stating that it is in Tunisia’s national interest to help Libya establish stability.

Since the UN intervention in Libya in 2011 and the death of Muammar Gaddafi, the country has been in turmoil. Yet the agreement to form a Libyan Government of National Accord could allow a peaceful and diplomatic resolution to the conflict. Such an outcome is strongly supported by Tunisia.

“Today, stability in next-door Libya only serves Tunisia’s national interest. That is why we have spared no effort bridging differences between Libyan protagonists”, stated Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui. With 459 kilometers of border between the two countries, Tunisia is especially sensitive to events occurring in Libya. The chaos in Libya has allowed jihadists to gain in strength and to threaten Tunisia, as seen in the terrorist attacks in Tunisia in 2015.

The Minister also recalled that the 2014 election in Tunisia had been possible only thanks to “an inclusive dialogue between the various political actors [that] had created a climate of civil peace and coexistence in the country”. This dialogue was recognised in 2015 with the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Tunisian civil society groups.

If Tunisia is undoubtedly on the right track toward a consolidated democracy, Minister Khemaies Jhinaoui, however, called for “exceptional initiatives from the international community to spur the growth and development that our economy – and our people – need”.

This support from the international community is essential, not only for Tunisia but for the entire region. Hence, “Tunisia serves as a model for other struggling societies in the Middle East and North Africa”. Therefore, the Minister believes that, “investing in Tunisia’s unique democratic experiment will yield dividends to all”.

References

Cultural Diplomacy News
Gaspard Fontaine, CD News