Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 02/2014

In the Crossfire: Islamists' Travails in Tunisia

Anouar Boukhars

January 2014

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Abstract

Tunisia is struggling with insecurity, social tensions, and ideological divisions three years after President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted during a popular uprising. But the country is making progress on the path to democracy. Islamist and secular politicians have struck a potentially landmark agreement that could get Tunisia’s democratic transition back on track. To solidify gains and ensure that a successful Tunisian experiment reverberates across the Arab world, socioeconomic struggles that fuel protests and radicalism must be confronted.