Beyond the “Epopee of Ben Guerdane”: Exploring the Plurality of Resistance at the South-Eastern Tunisian Border

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to shed light on the plural form of resistance performed around the South-Eastern Tunisian border area through the case study of the ordinary people of Ben Guerdane’s resistance to the jihadi attack of 7th March 2016. Placing the so-called “epopee of Ben Guerdane” in a broader historical context, it seeks to explore the fluctuations between resistance and repression along the border area both in the past and in the present, showing how multifaceted the repertoire of resistance – which includes anti-colonial struggle, guerrilla action, regime opposition, subversions, forms of everyday resistance and jihadi insurrection – has been. Following the insight of Critical Border Studies, the border will be considered as an epistemological viewpoint rather than simply a geopolitical device, considering the central role of material and symbolic borders and boundaries that shape the living experiences of Ben Guerdane’s inhabitants. The article relies on qualitative data collected during long-term fieldwork in addition to shifting the focus of the study of the Tunisian-Libyan border from national security to an approach that prioritizes the experiences of ordinary people.