Tunis - Tunisia is extending its state of emergency, first called during street unrest after the fall of the North African nation's longtime autocratic leader in January 2011.
The office of President Moncef Marzouki said on Sunday that the state of emergency will continue until the end of the month.
It was the fifth time the measure has been extended. Marzouki's office cited persistent risks to public order in several regions "despite an improvement of the security situation in recent weeks."
The state of emergency notably allows soldiers and police to fire on those who refuse orders to stop.
The toppling of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, in exile in Saudi Arabia, sparked the Arab Spring. - Sapa-AP
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