Greetings Expats,
We took a field trip today to Borj El Amri (a town in the Manouba Governorate of Tunisia), located 30 kilometres southwest of Tunis. The trip was uneventful and we had a lovely time at our destination.
On our way to and from we noticed a lot of police check points pulling over mostly Peugeot Partner style vehicles or pick ups. Unlike “normal” check points, Tunisian Security Forces appeared focused and ready.
This observation along with the article in Almonitor entitled: Tunisia Deals with French Intervention in Mali, clearly underscores the growing concern that:
“The security forces are continuing their search, which means that they have information of more weapons caches and terrorists, probably belonging to the extremist group al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).”
Preparedness before Panic
While it’s reassuring to see security forces out in higher numbers, there are reasons for concern. In one of our recent postings we stated that:
In our opinion, Tunisia is currently serving as a strategic point for jihadist groups that are more focus on countries like Syria and Mali. This arrangement, along with other factors, is the main reason why we have not seen more violent activities involving weapons.
Almonitor’s article supports this theory: “Leaked reports said that many of the terrorists who carried out the Jan. 15 attack on gas facilities in southern Algeria have managed to slip into Tunisia. There is information that two 4×4-type vehicles carrying gunmen entered Tunisia.”
Personal Security Review
Now is a great time to conduct a personal security review. With pen and paper in hand, take 15 minutes to review your routines and weekly activities Then start with Monday and write down your activities in chronological order. After you have completed this task ask yourself the following question:
Are your routines easy to monitor? (Are you predictable?)
By doing this small survey you can make the necessary adjustments to avoid being a victim of a crime or worse.
We are receiving good information and we will continue to share with the goal of empowering the Expat Community in Tunis. Feel free to contact us for more information concerning our Situational Awareness Training Program.
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