The Tunisian security authorities announced the deployment of traffic police officers in civilian clothes to monitor violations and confront the growing chaos on the roads during peak hours and “impunity,” according to what Agence France-Presse reported on Tuesday.
This decision, which entered into force about a week ago in the Greater Tunis region (four states), is considered a temporary measure pending the spread of video surveillance, according to what was confirmed on Tuesday by the Director of the Traffic Police at the Ministry of Interior, Brigadier General Sami Rashiko, to national radio.
Security personnel in civilian clothing are supposed to contribute to deterring drivers, who take advantage of the absence of a traffic policeman to violate the curfew law. In this context, Rashiko said: “Everyone must respect the law,” but because of the “sense of selfishness” among a large number of drivers, and “the feeling that no one is watching... we told ourselves that we cannot remain idly by.”
The official spoke of increasingly frequent phenomena, such as wandering in the opposite direction of traffic.
Tunisia is one of the countries recording an increase in the number of fatal traffic accidents. From the beginning of the year until October 4, there was an 11.78 percent increase in traffic accident deaths compared to the same period last year, according to official data.
The Director of the Traffic Police confirmed that he had already noticed a decrease in the number of violations in one of the major neighborhoods in the capital, after information about the presence of two policemen in civilian clothing began to reach and spread among citizens.
On social media, reactions were mixed, with some expressing their regret for a measure that relies more on punishment rather than deep reforms. Others said they were concerned about potential distractions, such as the risk of abuse or bribery during surveillance.
When asked about the means to avoid any “excess” of this kind, Rashiko stressed that the generalization of video surveillance will put an end to these behaviors, which he considered isolated cases.
Egypt renewed its condemnation of all attacks on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and its full support for its security and stability. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan agreed, during a phone call, with his Egyptian counterpart Badr Abdel Ati, on Monday evening, on “the necessity of preserving the security of freedom of maritime navigation in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab.”
The phone call comes in light of the ongoing communication and coordination between the two brotherly countries, to consult on various topics of interest.
Egypt repeatedly renews its full solidarity with the sisterly Gulf states, and its standing by their side in the face of everything that affects their security and territorial integrity. It also stresses “the rejection of any attacks aimed at harming the sovereignty and stability of the Gulf states.” She called on more than one occasion to “immediately stop the escalation and resort to serious dialogue and diplomatic means to settle the various outstanding issues in the region.”
According to the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, the phone call dealt with “confirming the depth of the fraternal and strategic relations between Egypt and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and discussing strengthening various mechanisms of bilateral cooperation in various fields.”
The two ministers discussed regional developments, including the crisis with Iran, the security of the Red Sea region, and the situation in Sudan. Bin Farhan and Abdel Ati reiterated “the two brotherly countries’ firm position on supporting Sudan’s unity and sovereignty and the importance of preserving its national institutions in order to preserve its security and stability in a way that meets the aspirations of the brotherly Sudanese people.”
The "Quartet Mechanism", which includes the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and the United States, is working towards a ceasefire in Sudan, and stresses "the necessity of making all efforts to settle the armed conflict in Sudan."
Egypt stressed “the importance of putting the Palestinian house in order,” and warned of the danger of continuing violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque and attempts to undermine the existing historical and legal status in the holy sites in the city of Jerusalem.
This came during a meeting between Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel Ati and Secretary of the Fatah Central Committee, Jibril Rajoub, on Monday evening, to discuss developments in the situation in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and the efforts made to support the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
According to a statement by the official spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nader Zaki, on Tuesday, Minister Abdel Ati reviewed the developments in the efforts aimed at supporting the completion of the implementation of US President Donald Trump’s comprehensive peace plan, stressing “the importance of full commitment to the entitlements of the first phase, including ensuring the flow of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip without obstacles, and proceeding with early recovery steps.”
The “Trump plan” includes 20 points to end the conflict in Gaza, and moves from a ceasefire to disarmament, technocratic rule, reconstruction, and Israeli withdrawal from the Strip.
Abdel Ati also condemned the repeated attacks committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank and their escalation, as well as the repeated raids on the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque and the provocative practices inside it.
According to a Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday, the meeting discussed “the importance of continuing the Palestinian national dialogue in a way that contributes to unifying ranks and putting the Palestinian house in order,” as well as “Egypt’s support for the efforts aimed at reforming and empowering the Palestinian Authority and enhancing its capabilities to carry out its responsibilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in a way that supports the unity of Palestinian decision-making and institutions and paves the way for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along the lines of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.”
