Al-Ghanouchi warns Salafists following policeman murder

Rashid al-Ghanouchi, leader of Tunisia’s Ennahda Islamist movement, has warned Tunisian Salafists following the murder of a policeman.

Earlier this week, Tunisia’s Interior Ministry said that it had found the corps of a policeman in Jabal Al-Joloud neighbourhood to the south of the Tunisian capital. It said that the policeman had suffered severe wounds to the neck that appeared to be caused by a sharp tool.

The crime has been was widely criticised and the Interior Ministry has already announced the detention of two alleged perpetrators. It has not, however, mentioned their political or religious affiliation.

Al-Ghanouchi, who heads the ruling party, asserted that extremist Salafists had assassinated the policeman based on a fatwa given by their imam.

During a press conference on Wednesday, he said that members of the Jehadist Salafist movement had killed the policeman using a sword. The perpetrators robbed the victim after they had killed him, and hid in a nearby mosque.

Expressing anger at the Salafists who have been responsible for a few violent incidents over the years, Al-Ghanouchi criticised their silence on the crime.

Al-Ghanouchi reiterated that he supports talks with the Salafists and any other group, however, referring to the army which is currently pursuing extremists based in the west of the country near the Algerian borders, he also said: “When things turn to violence and explosives planting, security services will lead the talks.”