ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at security in the Sahel, with particular reference to Monastir. It outlines defence security in the Sahel, a characteristic of the region that is immediately obvious in the defensive nature of the medina walls in Sousse, Kairouan and Mahdia. The chapter discusses ideas of Tunisian security in the global economy through investment in higher education, the film industry, tourism and the Internet. While defence security is clearly evident in the landscape of the Sahel, with ribats and strongly fortified medina walls, the concept of security needs to change in the 21stcentury. There is a strong emphasis in higher education in Tunisia on practical skills such as medicine and science, an indication of developing a knowledge base in students that is geared to further national development and improved national security. Terrorism has hit the tourist industry in the Sahel very hard, with many hotels having low occupancy rates in late 2001 and in 2002.
