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Tunisia Raises Security Threat Level in 5 Provinces

A member of the Tunisian special forces. AFP file photo
A member of the Tunisian special forces. AFP file photo
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Tunisia Raises Security Threat Level in 5 Provinces

A member of the Tunisian special forces. AFP file photo
A member of the Tunisian special forces. AFP file photo

The Tunisian army and security forces have gone on high alert following intelligence reports of terrorist plots in five of the country’s provinces.

The threat level in the five provinces was upped after Uqba ibn Nafi terrorist group issued a statement, following the killing of its key leade Aymen Jendoubi, threatening attacks in Tunisia.

The army and security bodies increased deployment in the provinces of Jendouba, El Kef, Sidi Bou Said, Kasserine, and Gafsa, the scenes of armed clashes between government forces and extremists.

The Tunisian authorities also intensified the surveillance of members of the Uqba ibn Nafi battalion, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda or Jond al Khilafa that has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Uqba ibn Nafi battalion slammed the Tunisian government after the prime minister announced victory over extremist groups. It also slammed Tunisian media personnel who commended the success of the Tunisian military and security institutions in eradicating key terrorists in the past years.

The battalion threatened to conduct operations as retaliation for its losses in the western mountains of the country. The warning was taken seriously by the army and the security agencies.

As many as 800 terrorist members have returned to Tunisia, and the vast majority of them are incarcerated around the country, revealed the Ministry of Interior. Around 3,000 Tunisians flew to the battlefields of Iraq, Libya, and Syria to join ISIS and al-Qaeda, revealed security sources.

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Egypt Calls on Int’l Donors to Fulfill Pledges to Support Sudan, Refugee-Hosting Countries

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
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Egypt Calls on Int’l Donors to Fulfill Pledges to Support Sudan, Refugee-Hosting Countries

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)
Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty meets with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo, 23 July, 2024. (Egyptian Foreign Ministry)

Egypt on Tuesday called on international donors to swiftly fulfill their pledges to support Sudan, and its neighboring refugee-hosting countries after millions of Sudanese have been displaced due to the conflict between the army and the Rapid Support Forces.

“Egypt is in ongoing talks with donor countries and humanitarian organizations to urge them to share the burden with Sudan’s caretaker government and neighboring countries,” Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said during a meeting with his Sudanese counterpart Hussein Awad in Cairo.

Since the conflict erupted in Sudan in mid-April 2023, some 10 million have been displaced within the country or have fled into neighboring countries, making it the largest displacement crisis globally, according to UN statistics.

Abdelatty reiterated Egypt's unwavering support for the stability and safety of Sudan and its people, stressing Cairo's commitment to helping the Sudanese people overcome political, security, and humanitarian challenges caused by the ongoing war.

Early this month, Egypt hosted the Sudanese Political and Civil Forces Conference aimed at ending the war in the country.

According to the Egyptian FM, the Conference affirmed the need to maintain state institutions, deliver aid to Sudan and its neighbors, and ensure Sudanese control over the political process.

A Foreign Ministry statement said during their meeting in Cairo on Tuesday, Abdelatty and Awad reviewed the latest progress of the ongoing Egyptian development projects in Sudan, such as the electrical interconnection project and the reconstruction and development of Wadi Halfa Port.

Abdelatty pledged Egypt's continued commitment to completing these projects, the statement noted.

He called on international donors to quickly fulfill their pledges made at the conferences in Geneva and Paris to support Sudan, its neighboring refugee-hosting countries, and the UN humanitarian response plan.

Abdelatty said Egypt is in ongoing talks with donor countries and humanitarian organizations to urge them to share the burden with Sudan’s caretaker government and neighboring countries.

Egypt has received more than half a million of Sudanese fleeing the war, in addition to more than 5 million Sudanese who already reside in Egyptian cities, according to Egyptian government estimates.

For his part, the Sudanese minister thanked Egypt for the facilities and services provided to Sudanese citizens since the crisis began, including health and educational services, according to the Egyptian statement.

He also praised Egypt’s initiatives aimed at resolving the Sudanese crisis.

Abdelatty and Awad touched on several regional issues such as the situation in the Horn of Africa, the Gaza Strip crisis, the Red Sea security, the situation in Libya, and the Sahel–Saharan region.

They also discussed the dispute caused by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), reaffirming the unified stance of both countries on water security.