A team of 20 British troops is on its way to Tunisia to help “counter illegal cross-border movement” from Libya especially extremist militants according to U.K Defense Minister Michael Fallon.
The British forces are invited to the country by the Tunisian government as it continues its crackdown on terrorism. Fallon told the House of Commons that the move affirms Britain’s “commitment to peace and security in the region” because it is “extremely concerned” about the “proliferation of Daesh” with its militants “determined to target civilians wherever they can.”
U.K became more concerned about terrorism in Tunisia after the Sousse attack left 30 of its citizens dead. Tunisia shares a 285mile border with Libya and attackers are reportedly trained there. The British troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade will train Tunisians for two months on effectively guarding their border.
The Wall Street Journal reported that up to 7,000 Tunisians have left to fight for IS while another 15,000 was barred from travelling outside the country due to concerns that they will be joining the extremist group. High unemployment has raised concerns that the country’s youth are at a risk of being radicalized and the World Bank has stepped in to minimize the risk by approving a $70million project that would help to curb unemployment.
World Bank country manager for Tunisia, Eileen Murray, said the project will promote “closer relationship” between the universities and the labor market which would “form the foundation of Tunisia’s new economic model and will be essential for meeting the needs of Tunisian youths.”
Ongoing reforms in the universities and modernization efforts will be supported by the project as university enrollment continues to rise since 2011 with unemployment among graduates reaching 30%.
