Experts: “Tunisia’s bid to join international alliances would harm its relations with Algeria”

Tunisia officially announced on Wednesday its adhesion to the international coalition against the “Daesh” terror group, led by the United States and which comprises about 60 Western and Arab countries, including among others Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Jordan, while Algeria refused to participate.

The head of the Tunisian government, in his speech on behalf of Tunisian president Beji Kaid Essebsi, during the 70th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, affirmed that  “the International Alliance to face up to “Daesh” is an appropriate framework for joint action and collective commitment to combating  extremism.”

He added that Tunisia “is currently studying the areas of participation within the projected international coalition and will contribute strongly with all means available in some of these areas.”

Tunisia’s declared adhesion intention has been hailed by US President Barack Obama and several countries involved in this alliance.

However, several seasoned political analysts surmised that Tunisia’s deep involvement into the planned US-led military coalition, is “a strategic mistake and will put them between a rock and a hard place with a deleterious impact on the country itself as well as on smooth relations with neighbouring Algeria for manifold reasons linked to geo-political strategy.