What the May 2015 bi-lateral MoU can teach us about the current US-Tunisia ties

Besides many specific, bilateral and lending agreements, #Tunisia and the #UnitedStates signed in 20 May, 2015, a Memorandum of Understanding that covers “a wide range of programs and areas of regional economic development, of #security, people-to-people ties”. This agreement also aims at strengthening “respect for rule of law” and “build capacity for rule of law, human rights, and social and political inclusion”.

The #MoU was signed by John #Kerry, then #US Secretary of State, and Mohsen Marzouk, then special adviser to the Tunisian president Béji Ca?d #Essebsi.

?The controversy sparked by the agreements in Tunisia and elsewhere was due to two elements:

1- despite the presence of the Tunisian president and the minister of Foreign Affairs, the signatory for Tunisia held no official position in the Tunisian state. Mohsen Marzouk was SG of the then ruling party Nidaa Tounes and advisor to former president Essebsi.?

2- there were doubts that some parts of the agreement were?undisclosed.

Reports said at the time that Tunisia accepted, under this agreement, to grant the US a #military base on Tunisian territory and to allow an American military action when needed; for example to defend Tunisia against the fall of democracy or against a foreign military intervention by a third country.

The disclosed agreement is itself interesting.

First, it was seen as a “threat”, or at least contradictory to, Tunisia’s commitments to the many agreements signed since 1956 under the #Arab Maghreb Union, the Arab League and the #African Union.

It also directly challenges Tunisia’s agreements and historic bi-lateral agreements with #France.

And the May 2015 MoU resurfaced following the major political and security overturn in Tunisia in July 2021 when Tunisian president #KaisSaied toppled all democratic institutions and grasped all the powers in his hands.

The May 2015 MoU stipulates “the vital importance of supporting Tunisia’s security needs, #counterterrorism efforts and stability” and “reinforce Tunisia’s important and remarkable democratic progress, respect of the rule of #law and commitment to Human Rights and social and political inclusion”.

Yet, all these values and principles have been violated by Saied’s July 2021 move in which the “hard power” (military, #police and militias) was used.

The collapsing economy and the rising social discontent threaten the country’s stability, supposed to be defended by the Agreement signed in 2015.

Based on this and other bi-lateral and international agreements signed by Tunisia, questions were raised about whether the US is today supposed, under this and other bi-lateral agreements, to intervene in any form, to put an end to Saied’s authoritarian process.

An analyst said that the May 2015 MoU was THE reason why the US administration declined to name the July 2015 power-grab a “coup d’état” because if they did, they would be “compelled to intervene, not excluded militarily”.

From 2011 to 2015, The United States has committed more than $225 million in security assistance to bolster Tunisia’s capacity to “counter internal and regional threats and terrorism”.

The Obama Administration announced its intention to designate Tunisia a major non- #NATO ally (#MNNA) “in recognition of (our) shared values, Tunisia’s democratic gains, and our growing security and counterterrorism cooperation”.

The status was confirmed on July 11, 2015.