Migrants have been a regular presence in Tunisia since around 2011, when they arrived in the country after fleeing instability in Libya. It is only in recent years, however, that they have become a political issue. With Tunisia’s economy in shambles and the rise of political repression, migrants within and transiting through the country have been demonized in an attempt to shift the focus and cast President Saïed as a populist hero.

'Why do individuals join a violent extremist group? What are the drivers behind this decision? And how do we prevent it? These questions have long occupied the academic and policy spaces, and continue to do so given that violent extremism is still one of the top national and international security threats....'

Continue reading this Security Assessment in North Africa (SANA) project blog post on MEDIUM.

Since 1970, armed groups have hit dozens of civilian aircraft with man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), killing more than 1,000 civilians. The international community has taken numerous steps to reduce illicit proliferation, but armed groups in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region continue to acquire and use these systems.