The criminal attack that occurred on Tuesday evening, May 9, on the island of Djerba (governorate of Medenine) was at the centre of the interventions of the deputies during the plenary session of the Assembly of Representatives held on Thursday.

The deputies were unanimous in calling for greater cohesion and unity around the army and security forces, calling on Tunisians to lend a hand to these two key institutions of the state in this difficult and delicate ordeal.

Beyond the calls for support and unity, the elected representatives of the people have drawn the line at the much-debated issue of appointments within the security apparatus.

On Tuesday evening, an officer of the Maritime Guard in Aghir (Djerba) killed his colleague with his personal firearm before taking his ammunition. The officer then tried to access the area around the synagogue of La Ghriba and fired randomly at the security units deployed on the scene, who returned fire and prevented him from reaching the synagogue before shooting him.

The deputies stressed that it is time for the Interior Department to review the appointments made during the last decade, calling for a "purge" of the security apparatus of elements advocating "terrorist ideology".

They also called for another "purge" of mosques infiltrated by "takfirist" imams who propagate terrorist and obscurantist ideology and spread incitement.

The deputies also called for the reactivation of the state security body dissolved after the January 14, 2011 revolution, saying that infiltrations and abuses have occurred following the disappearance of this key body.

In the same context, the deputies took the opportunity to ask the General Directorate of the National Guard for more details on the continued employment of a security officer who had adopted the terrorist ideology and who had previously been questioned on the basis of the "criminal" ideology he carried.

Several deputies also stressed the need to provide "effective and serious" support to the families of the martyrs of the security institution, especially since one of the security officers killed in this criminal attack is the only source of support for his family.

In this regard, the deputies praised the responsiveness and speed of intervention of the security forces as well as their generous sacrifices to defend the security of the country.

Taking the floor, ARP Speaker Brahim Bouderbala made a significant clarification on the Ghriba attack, saying that we must align ourselves with the qualification given by the judicial institution which sees Tuesday's incident as a "criminal operation" against the country.

Regarding the plenary session, Bouderbala said that it will continue to examine issues related to the establishment of the ARP structures, including the bureau and the permanent and ad hoc committees, and that it will resume its work next Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse