[1]Flowers laid in memory of victims at scene of Friday's horrific attack. Photo shared by Farah Samti on Twitter.
Tunisians are criticizing government security failures following a terror attack at a beach resort in Sousse, located 140 kilometers south of the capital Tunis.
On June 26, a gunman who was later identified as 23-year-old Seifeddine Rezgui, opened fired at foreign tourists sunbathing on the beach, before pursuing them to the pool and the lobby of the Imperial Marhaba Hotel, killing 39 people and injuring 38 others. The following day, social media accounts affiliated with ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack [2].
Friday's attack comes less than four months after two other gunmen armed with Kalashnikovs attacked the Bardo Museum [3] in the capital, leaving 23 foreign tourists and a police officer dead.
On social media, Tunisians are blaming the authorities and the government's incompetence in dealing with security threats emanating from violent extremist groups and individuals.
Tunisian journalist Asma Ghrbi tweeted on the day of the attack:
The lesson #TNgov [4] should've learnt from #Bardo [5] is that touristic sites are targeted but it did not. Hence today's #sousseAttack [6] &maybe more
— أسمى غريبي (@AsmaGhribi) June 26, 2015 [7]
#TNGOV [8] has never had a clear strategy to halt militant insurgency. It has only resorted to fruitless ad hoc measures. Even Nida Tounes 1/2
— أسمى غريبي (@AsmaGhribi) June 26, 2015 [9]
which campaigned on an anti-terrorism platform has failed. One can argue that it actually did worse than the previous post-uprising govts2/2
— أسمى غريبي (@AsmaGhribi) June 26, 2015 [10]
Papillon tweeted:
2 attentats en 4 mois à 2 endroits censés être sous haute surveillance. Près de 60 morts. 0 démissions. Aucune remise en question du gvt.
— Papillon (@Papiillon) June 27, 2015 [11]
two attacks in the span of four months in two places that should have been under high surveillance. Around 60 deaths. 0 resignations. no questioning of the government.
Pire encore. Le pouvoir se replie sur lui même, accuse la petite opposition et veut impliquer le peuple dans la lutte anti-terrorisme.
— Papillon (@Papiillon) June 27, 2015 [12]
Even worse, the regime is accusing the small opposition and wants to involve the people in counter-terrorism.
Après le Bardo, aucune leçon n'a été retenue. Rien n'a changé. Ce qui faisait de l'attentat de Sousse une évidence.
— Papillon (@Papiillon) June 27, 2015 [13]
After Bardo, not a single lesson learnt. Nothing has changed, which made the Sousse attack an evidence.
According to Kais, security forces are not well-trained for counter-terrorism operations, adding that their mission has always been to control the people.
on est vraiment pas prêts pour ça. nos flics ne sont pas formés pour protéger les citoyens et les touristes ni à lutter contre le terrorisme
— kaïs (@MKais) June 27, 2015 [14]
We really are not ready for this. Our police officers are not trained to protect citizens and tourists nor fight terrorism.
nos flics ont depuis tjr été formés pour contenir une population désarmée et à la mater pas à la protéger. le terrorisme leur est étranger
— kaïs (@MKais) June 27, 2015 [15]
Our police have always been trained to contain and subdue a disarmed population and not to protect it. Terrorism is new to them
Wafa Ben Hassine made a similar comment:
Govts like my own are the best at suppressing freedoms in the name of terrorism but the worst in actually protecting us from it. #Tunisia [16]
— Wafa Ben Hassine (@ousfourita) June 26, 2015 [17]
And how did the gunman become armed in a country that has the lowest gun ownership rate in the world [18]?
Je vois des gens se demander comment le terroriste a-t-il pu accéder à la plage. C'est une plage. C'est par définition ouvert.
— Heger (@heger_) June 27, 2015 [19]
Le gars endoctriné et armé, s'il veut tuer, tuera, peut-importe qu'il y ait un flic derrière chaque civil.
— Heger (@heger_) June 27, 2015 [20]
Là où l'action est efficace est à ce niveau: pourquoi est-il endoctriné? comment est-il armé?
— Heger (@heger_) June 27, 2015 [21]
I hear people asking how was the terrorist able to access the beach. It's a beach. It's by definition open. The guy is indoctrinated and armed. If he wants to kill, he will kill even when there is a police officer behind each citizen. Where action is effective it's at this level: why is he indoctrinated? How is he armed?
Users also slammed officials’ declarations and their denial. Hours after the attack on Friday, President Beji Caid Essebsi called [22] for unity and accused government critics for “targeting the Tunisian State, and its security.”
Huffpost Tunisia editor Monia Ben Hamadi described Essebsi's declaration as “delusional”.
La 1ere décla de BCE après l'attaque était délirante, à la lumière d témoignages elle est dangereusement horrifiante http://t.co/zB9BbYPgdy [23]
— Monia Ben Hamadi (@MoniaBH) June 28, 2015 [24]
The first Essebsi statement after the attack was delusional and in the light of evidence is dangerously horrifying
On the other hand, Prime Minister Habib Essid announced [25] a number of measures to be taken in the aftermath of the Sousse attack, including deploying army reservists to resorts and archeological sites, and closing mosques outside government control.
However, not everyone seems to be convinced about the effectiveness of these measures.
Les mesures annoncées par Essid auraient dû être prises 3 ans plus tôt. Je ne suis pas sûre de leur efficacité aujourd'hui.
— Sarah Ben Hamadi (@Sarah_bh) June 27, 2015 [26]
Measures announced today by Essid, should have been taken three years ago. I am not sure about their effectiveness today