[MAGHAREBIA] Tunisia could soon offer financial rewards to citizens who help authorities capture terrorists."We will adopt this method at some point, as it has been adopted in some countries of the world," interior ministry front man Mohammed Ali Aroui told Shems FM on February 25th.
Aroui warned of "the grave risks that may result from the return to Tunisia of people who were trained to fight in Syria", describing them as "ticking bombs".
Yet even before the mention of rewards, concerned citizens were already becoming more vigilant.
According to Mourad el-Abed, a 33-year-old from Kasserine, local residents have "become aware of the importance of reporting to the police when they notice unusual movements with regard to terrorists".
Eleven people were recently incarcerated
Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages!
in Jendouba and Kasserine for allegedly providing support to terrorists.
"The region, especially Jebel Chaambi, has been affected by terrorism. This is what made us more conscious of actually participating in the effort to eliminate terrorists," el-Abed said.
Citizens have a key role to play in eliminating violent extremism, agreed Faten Arfaoui, 41.
"There is no doubt that offering financial rewards for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest of dangerous terrorist elements will encourage many citizens where terrorism is entrenched, especially in poor areas," the Tunis resident told Magharebia..
"There is also the role of the media in educating citizens to help in the fight against terrorism at no charge because the security of the country is the security of the citizen himself," he added.
Tunisians can contribute to the fight against terrorism by detecting and reporting suspicious activities, Al-Majd party chief Abdelwaheb el-Heni said.
Establishing security in Tunisia requires "the adoption of a comprehensive strategy involving everyone, from citizens to the state apparatus", he said.
"The citizen is the main component who informs the state about every move and every suspicious element," el-Heni said.
"A central strategic security agency in charge of counter-terrorism should be launched to collect and analyse information," the politician added. "The absence of this entity is the main loophole in the fight against terrorism."