The Security Sector Reform in Tunisia

Tunisia, with its transformation since 2011, presents a successful example for democratization in the region. However, one of the important steps of the democratization, structurally reforming state  institutions which have been the mainstay of the authoritarian regime has not been accomplished yet. In particular, unrealised structural reforms in the security institutions raise concerns and a number of risks on behalf of democratization of the country. Since 2013 Tunisia has faced serious security problems and as a result, the decision makers in the country prioritize security in their policies. From this perspective, there is an urgent need for structural reforms in the security sector, which ensures them a new structure, paving way for democratization and even more accompanying democratization. This work, considering the importance and needs for structural reforms, examines the transformation experienced by Tunisian security agencies in the post-2011 era. In addition, the state of security institutions, together with the contents of the change, have put the changing security threats and policies of the last four years in the country under the spotlight.