Tunisia and France deepen civil protection partnership as ONPC modernisation takes shape

Tunisia and France on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to modernising the country's emergency response services, with the two countries continuing to advance a sweeping upgrade of the National Office of Civil Protection (Office National de la Protection Civile — ONPC) backed by French public finance.

The cooperation sits within a broader bilateral framework, the centrepiece of which is a €50 million loan concluded on 24 September 2024 between Tunisia and France's Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French development finance institution. Tunisia's parliament, the Assemblée des représentants du peuple (ARP), approved the agreement in July 2025.

What the programme covers

The modernisation project, described by the AFD as a response to growing climate-linked risks, is built around four components: construction of a new ONPC headquarters; creation of a national integrated alert and operations management system; reinforcement of the Special Civil Protection Unit (Unité Spéciale de la Protection Civile — USPC); and construction of a new base-training school at Zriba in the governorate of Zaghouan.

The project also foresees 24 AI-equipped operations rooms deployed across Tunisia, digitisation of the emergency number 198, and the acquisition of new equipment including drones and robotic units capable of handling toxic or radioactive materials. Light search-and-rescue teams of 20 specialists each are to be positioned strategically across the territory.

The loan of around 170 million dinars is repayable over 20 years, with a seven-year grace period. A separate €1.5 million technical grant from Expertise France, an AFD subsidiary, accompanies the loan to support project management and institutional capacity.

A deepening bilateral relationship

France-Tunisia civil protection cooperation predates the current programme. Under an earlier bilateral arrangement, the Crimson Tactic command-and-control software was deployed at the ONPC's main operational room, its Geographic Information System (GIS) unit, and the USPC — laying a digital foundation that the new project extends significantly.

Tunisia has also held a civil protection cooperation arrangement with the European Union since 2018, covering disaster prevention, preparedness and response for forest fires, floods, and search-and-rescue missions.

Interior Minister Khaled Nouri has made civil protection modernisation a stated priority. On 9 June 2026, he presided over the graduation ceremony for the 10th cohort of officers and 6th cohort of non-commissioned officers from the National School of Civil Protection (ENPC) for the academic year 2025–2026, stressing the need to modernise training infrastructure and deepen cooperation with international counterparts.

The ONPC, which sits under the Ministry of Interior and is led by Director General Colonel-major Mohamed Rached Souissi, is responsible for protecting lives and property against natural and man-made disasters, overseeing fire prevention, and directing search-and-rescue operations nationwide.

Climate pressures driving urgency

Officials on both sides have framed the investment as a direct response to climate change. Tunisia faces rising exposure to wildfires, flash floods and extreme heat events; the country's coastal and agricultural regions are among the most vulnerable in the southern Mediterranean.

Cécile Couprie, AFD's regional director, said at the September 2024 signing that the agency was contributing "directly to strengthening Tunisia's resilience against climate risks and natural disasters."

Once operational, the upgraded system is expected to give ONPC the capability to respond to domestic emergencies and to deploy internationally — including through its USPC rapid-reaction unit.