Summary:

Late on Thursday, 16 March 2023, Toufik Charfeddine reportedly resigned as Minister of the Interior. On 17 March, President Kais Saied issued two decrees, one officially removing Charfeddine from his position and a second appointing Kamal Feki as the new Minister of the Interior.

Charfeddine has previously referred to the unexpected death of his wife and family commitments as factors impacting his ability to serve. He resigns after having served twice as Minister of the Interior, having also run the ministry under former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi who dismissed Charfeddine after eventually being dismissed himself by President Saied. President Saied then reappointed Charfeddine to the position. In mid-2022, it was reported that Charfeddine’s wife had been wounded in a gas explosion at home and eventually died from her wounds. 

Kamal Feki takes over as Minister of the Interior after having most recently served as the Governor of Tunis. He is considered to be loyal to President Saied, having most recently made headlines by denying the opposition coalition known as the National Salvation Front (NSF) authorization to protest. The group did eventually protest despite not receiving a permit from the governor.

Outlook:  

The change in leadership at a Ministry of the Interior comes at a critical juncture for Tunisia as a crackdown against opposition figures continues and the state of the rule of law in the country is increasingly under the microscope. It is expected that President Saied would appoint an ally to such a high-profile and functionally important position in the Tunisian security and legal system. However, what remains to be seen is how the rule of law and the use of the country’s security forces will develop under the leadership of Feki. Our team will continue to closely monitor indications of the further deterioration of the rule of the law and the potential impacts on the risk environment in Tunisia.

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