TUNISIAN President Beji Caid Essebsi declared a state of emergency at the weekend, saying that his country is “not safe” and risks collapse from further extremist violence.

Mr Essebsi said that an “exceptional situation required exceptional measures,” while pledging to respect freedom of expression.

The presidential decision was announced just over a week after a gunman attacked foreign tourists in the beach resort of Sousse, killing 38 people.

Mr Essebsi said that the state of emergency would last 30 days. “Tunisia faces a very serious danger and it should take any possible measures to maintain security and safety,” he said.

“As we see in other countries, if attacks like Sousse happen again, the country will collapse.”

The president blamed poor security in Libya for Tunisia’s problems and a lack of international resolve in targeting Islamic State (Isis) throughout the region.

He said that Tunisia had been a target of Isis because it had a functioning secular democracy.