Tunisia Extends State of Emergency Through End of 2024, Citing Persistent Security Concerns

TUNIS, Jan 30 (Reuters) — Tunisia will remain under a state of emergency until at least the end of 2024, after President Kais Saied approved an 11-month extension, according to a notice published in the official gazette on Friday.

The decree prolongs a framework that has been in place since November 2015, when a suicide bombing targeting a presidential guard bus in Tunis killed 12 security personnel. The attack, claimed by the Islamic State, marked a turning point in Tunisia's post-revolution security landscape.

Under the state of emergency, authorities retain broad powers to restrict public gatherings, impose curfews, and conduct searches without judicial warrants. The government has consistently cited ongoing counter-terrorism operations and regional instability as justification for the measure.

Analysts note that the extension comes amid heightened political tension following Saied's consolidation of power since 2021, when he dissolved parliament and began ruling by decree. Critics argue the prolonged emergency rule has normalized the erosion of civil liberties in the country once hailed as the sole democratic success story of the Arab Spring.

"While security threats in the Sahel region remain real, the perpetual state of emergency risks becoming a permanent fixture of governance," said Dr. Leila Ben Moussa, a political scientist at the University of Tunis. "It blurs the line between temporary necessity and institutionalized exceptionalism."

Voices from the Street

Reuters spoke to several Tunisian citizens for their reaction to the announcement:

"As a small business owner in the medina, security is everything for tourism. If this helps prevent another attack like the one in 2015, I support it. We cannot afford another collapse in visitors."
— Mehdi Zouari, 48, Souvenir Shop Owner

"It's a disgrace. This 'temporary' measure is going into its ninth year. They use the language of security to justify silencing dissent and avoiding accountability. Our revolution was for freedom, not indefinite emergency rule."
— Salma Haddad, 32, Human Rights Activist

"Frankly, most people I know are more worried about inflation and finding jobs. The state of emergency feels like background noise now—it's been there so long we almost forget it exists until something reminds us."
— Anis Ben Khalifa, 29, Unemployed Graduate

The extension aligns with recent regional security assessments highlighting persistent militant activity along Tunisia's borders with Algeria and Libya. The government has not indicated whether it intends to let the measure lapse at the new December 31 deadline.

(Reporting by Tarek Amara; Additional background and analysis by Reuters Tunis bureau; Editing by Chris Reese)