The Prospects for Security Sector Reform in Tunisia: A Year after the Revolution (Enlarged Edition)

The Arab Spring began in Tunisia. The tragic self-immolation of Mohammed Bouazizi in December 2010 struck a chord of discontent and frustration that ultimately propelled Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to step down barely a month later. The reverberations of this unprecedented series of events were felt throughout the region, and protestors took to the streets in Bahrain, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Syria, and Yemen. A year later, Tunisia's remarkable transition continues to influence the region. Tunisia has achieved in 1 year what none of the other Arab Spring states have been able to accomplish. Some have suggested that Tunisia's transition might even be a model for the Arab Spring countries. The Tunisian military's refusal to ire on the demonstrators and its decision to eschew an overtly political role in the transition have left the task of creating a new political order in Tunisia to the civilian bureaucracy, nascent political parties, and civil society groups.