PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
US: Tunisian govt. urges Britain to relax travel warnings
New York, US (PANA) - The Tunisian government has urged British Foreign and the Commonwealth Office (FCO) to relax travel advice warning to British citizens under which they were to avoid travelling to Tunisian destinations.
The travel advice followed the deaths of 30 British holiday makers in the Mediterranean town of Sousse during a terror attack last year.
The FCO currently advises against all travel to the Chaambi Mountain National Park area, the Tunisia-Algeria border crossing points at Ghardimaou, Hazoua and Sakiet Sidi Youssef, and the militarized zone south of, but not including, the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba.
It also advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Tunisia.
However, the Tunisian government on Tuesday through its Ambassador to Britain, Nabil Ammar, said British government should take into account security improvements in Tunisia since last year.
In a statement obtained by PANA in New York, Ambassador Ammar said there was now a gap between the "perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground."
He stated: "Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised, so this should give a positive image, not a negative one."
"If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us," he noted.
The Tunisian envoy disclosed that figures from the Tunisian Tourist Board shows a fall of more than 90 per cent in British visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the similar period a year ago.
"Between January and April 2015, Tunisia welcomed 84,225 visitors from Britain, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year," Ambassador Ammar added.
PANA learnt that a state of emergency remains in effect in Tunisia, imposed after a suicide attack on a police bus on 24 November, 2015.
It has been extended a number of times, and on 22 March it was extended for a further three months, to 22 June, 2016.
It will be recalled that the FCO, in its travel warning to British citizens, stated: "The threat from terrorism in Tunisia is high. Further attacks remain highly likely, including against foreigners."
"Security forces remain on a high state of alert in Tunis and other locations. You should be vigilant, avoid crowded places and follow the advice of the Tunisian security authorities and your travel company, if you have one."
It noted that since the terrorist attack in Sousse in June 2015, the FCO has been working closely with the Tunisian authorities to investigate the attack and the wider threat from
terrorist groups in Tunisia.
Although there has been good co-operation from the Tunisian government, including putting in place additional security measures, the intelligence and threat picture has developed
considerably, reinforcing the FCO view that a further terrorist attack is highly likely.
"On balance, we do not believe the mitigation measures in place provide adequate protection for British tourists in Tunisia at the present time," the FCO said in a statement.
-0- PANA AA/VAO 24May2016
The travel advice followed the deaths of 30 British holiday makers in the Mediterranean town of Sousse during a terror attack last year.
The FCO currently advises against all travel to the Chaambi Mountain National Park area, the Tunisia-Algeria border crossing points at Ghardimaou, Hazoua and Sakiet Sidi Youssef, and the militarized zone south of, but not including, the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba.
It also advised against all but essential travel to the rest of Tunisia.
However, the Tunisian government on Tuesday through its Ambassador to Britain, Nabil Ammar, said British government should take into account security improvements in Tunisia since last year.
In a statement obtained by PANA in New York, Ambassador Ammar said there was now a gap between the "perception of the level of security, and the real security on the ground."
He stated: "Every week terrorist cells are dismantled. Terrorists are arrested or neutralised, so this should give a positive image, not a negative one."
"If you take statistics, you have much less chance to die in Tunisia or to have any harm in Tunisia than so many countries close to us," he noted.
The Tunisian envoy disclosed that figures from the Tunisian Tourist Board shows a fall of more than 90 per cent in British visitors for the first four months of this year compared with the similar period a year ago.
"Between January and April 2015, Tunisia welcomed 84,225 visitors from Britain, but just 5,980 in the first four months of this year," Ambassador Ammar added.
PANA learnt that a state of emergency remains in effect in Tunisia, imposed after a suicide attack on a police bus on 24 November, 2015.
It has been extended a number of times, and on 22 March it was extended for a further three months, to 22 June, 2016.
It will be recalled that the FCO, in its travel warning to British citizens, stated: "The threat from terrorism in Tunisia is high. Further attacks remain highly likely, including against foreigners."
"Security forces remain on a high state of alert in Tunis and other locations. You should be vigilant, avoid crowded places and follow the advice of the Tunisian security authorities and your travel company, if you have one."
It noted that since the terrorist attack in Sousse in June 2015, the FCO has been working closely with the Tunisian authorities to investigate the attack and the wider threat from
terrorist groups in Tunisia.
Although there has been good co-operation from the Tunisian government, including putting in place additional security measures, the intelligence and threat picture has developed
considerably, reinforcing the FCO view that a further terrorist attack is highly likely.
"On balance, we do not believe the mitigation measures in place provide adequate protection for British tourists in Tunisia at the present time," the FCO said in a statement.
-0- PANA AA/VAO 24May2016
