Written by Afef Abrougu
Tunisians are in shock following an ambush which left eight soldiers dead and three injured near the Algerian border. The incident took place on Monday, in the mountainous area of Chammbi [1] in the Governorate of Kasserine, some 290 kilometers south of the capital Tunis. According to media reports, five of the soldiers killed had their throats cut.
le plus petit des soldats a 21 ans et le plus âgé a 31 ans..Tout à l’image d’une jeunesse Tunisienne sacrifiée #RIP [2]
— aymen ferchichi (@aymenferchichi) July 30, 2013 [3]
The youngest of the soldiers is aged 21, the oldest is 31. This reflects the image of a Tunisian youth being sacrificed. #RIP
For several months Tunisian armed and security forces have been hunting for Islamic militants believed to be related to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), on Mount Chammbi. Land mine explosions in the months of April, May and June left two soldiers dead and at least 14 injured among the security and armed forces. Interim President Moncef Marzouki described the ambush as a “terrorist attack”. “We have entered the period of terrorism. We are going to pass through a difficult period but we shall overcome it”, he said in a televised speech.
Names of soldiers killed on Mount Chaambi.
With news of the tragedy spreading, speculations and accusations on social media started to multiply:
Les théories complotistes sur #Chaambi [5] se multiplient en #Tunisie [6] certains évoquent un coup de l’ex-RCD, de Nahda ou des services algériens
— David Thomson (@_DavidThomson) July 31, 2013 [7]
conspiracy theories about #Chaambi multiplying in Tunisia. Some blame the RCD (former ruling party of Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali), others Ennahdha (the Islamist movement leading the coalition government) or the Algerian intelligence services.
@_DavidThomson [8] Les #Tunisiens [9] sont devenu plus parano que les américains. Vous oubliez la piste du mossad aussi? Manque plus la piste alien
— Tunisie (@tunisie) July 31, 2013 [10]
@_DavidThomson Tunisians have become more paranoid than Americans. You did not mention the Mossad. The last thing we need is to have the aliens as suspects.
When asked about who he thinks is behind the bloody ambush, Tunis-based France24 journalist, David Thomson answered:
@SoulSoundProd [11] je pense qu’il s’agit d’une cellule jihadiste isolée, indépendante de toute organisation mais je n’exclue pas de me tromper
— David Thomson (@_DavidThomson) July 31, 2013 [12]
I think it is an isolated jihadist group, independent from any other organization. I could be wrong, though
As with the assassination of opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi [13] and leftist opposition leader Chokri Belaid [14], the three-party coalition government led by the Islamist Ennahdha Movement was blamed. Opposition figures and activists have often accused the government of not taking matters of terrorism seriously and of tolerating religious extremists.
Le message que #ennahdha [15] fait passer est clair, si vous nous dégagez, on brûlera la #Tunisie [6]… Ca me rapelle un certain #Zaba [16]
— Tounsi (@T2Tuniz) July 30, 2013 [17]
Ennahdha’s message is clear, if you make us leave [power], we will set #Tunisia on fire. This reminds me of ZABA [former president Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali, whose ouster on January 14, 2011 led to a wave of violence and acts of vandalism]
La contre-révolution au pouvoir qui n’a jamais envisagé de combattre le terrorisme, est responsable de tout ce qui s’est passé au #Chaâmbi [18].
— Boukornine (@BoukornineBlog) July 30, 2013 [19]
The ruling counter-revolution which never sought to fight terrorism is responsible for what happened in #Chaambi
Nous sommes tous émus par ce qui s’est passé à #Chaambi [5], mais accuser immédiatement #Ennahdha [20] d’avoir organisé l’embuscade c’est con.
— Habib M. Sayah (@Habsolutelyfree) July 29, 2013 [21]
We are all moved by what happened in Chaambi. But, quickly accusing Ennahdha is stupid
Monday’s bloody ambush is deepening the political crisis Tunisia is already facing following the assassination of opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi on July 25. Thousands have been taking to the streets demanding the fall of the three-party coalition government, led by the Islamist Ennahdha Movement. A sit-in demanding the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), tasked with drafting a new constitution is under way. According Marsad, a civil society group which tracks the work of the NCA, 60 MPs withdrew from the NCA.
Names of soldiers killed on Mount Chaambi.
With news of the tragedy spreading, speculations and accusations on social media started to multiply:
Les théories complotistes sur #Chaambi [5] se multiplient en #Tunisie [6] certains évoquent un coup de l’ex-RCD, de Nahda ou des services algériens
— David Thomson (@_DavidThomson) July 31, 2013 [7]
conspiracy theories about #Chaambi multiplying in Tunisia. Some blame the RCD (former ruling party of Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali), others Ennahdha (the Islamist movement leading the coalition government) or the Algerian intelligence services.
@_DavidThomson [8] Les #Tunisiens [9] sont devenu plus parano que les américains. Vous oubliez la piste du mossad aussi? Manque plus la piste alien
— Tunisie (@tunisie) July 31, 2013 [10]
@_DavidThomson Tunisians have become more paranoid than Americans. You did not mention the Mossad. The last thing we need is to have the aliens as suspects.
When asked about who he thinks is behind the bloody ambush, Tunis-based France24 journalist, David Thomson answered:
@SoulSoundProd [11] je pense qu’il s’agit d’une cellule jihadiste isolée, indépendante de toute organisation mais je n’exclue pas de me tromper
— David Thomson (@_DavidThomson) July 31, 2013 [12]
I think it is an isolated jihadist group, independent from any other organization. I could be wrong, though
As with the assassination of opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi [13] and leftist opposition leader Chokri Belaid [14], the three-party coalition government led by the Islamist Ennahdha Movement was blamed. Opposition figures and activists have often accused the government of not taking matters of terrorism seriously and of tolerating religious extremists.
Le message que #ennahdha [15] fait passer est clair, si vous nous dégagez, on brûlera la #Tunisie [6]… Ca me rapelle un certain #Zaba [16]
— Tounsi (@T2Tuniz) July 30, 2013 [17]
Ennahdha’s message is clear, if you make us leave [power], we will set #Tunisia on fire. This reminds me of ZABA [former president Zeine el Abidin Ben Ali, whose ouster on January 14, 2011 led to a wave of violence and acts of vandalism]
La contre-révolution au pouvoir qui n’a jamais envisagé de combattre le terrorisme, est responsable de tout ce qui s’est passé au #Chaâmbi [18].
— Boukornine (@BoukornineBlog) July 30, 2013 [19]
The ruling counter-revolution which never sought to fight terrorism is responsible for what happened in #Chaambi
Nous sommes tous émus par ce qui s’est passé à #Chaambi [5], mais accuser immédiatement #Ennahdha [20] d’avoir organisé l’embuscade c’est con.
— Habib M. Sayah (@Habsolutelyfree) July 29, 2013 [21]
We are all moved by what happened in Chaambi. But, quickly accusing Ennahdha is stupid
Monday’s bloody ambush is deepening the political crisis Tunisia is already facing following the assassination of opposition MP Mohamed Brahmi on July 25. Thousands have been taking to the streets demanding the fall of the three-party coalition government, led by the Islamist Ennahdha Movement. A sit-in demanding the dissolution of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), tasked with drafting a new constitution is under way. According Marsad, a civil society group which tracks the work of the NCA, 60 MPs withdrew from the NCA.