Voice Of Post

Tunisia Museum Reopens,Tunisia's National Bardo Museum reopened to the public Monday again for the first time since extremist gunmen opened fire on foreign tourists earlier this month, killing 22 people in the country's worst attack on civilians in 13 years.

The government says the man considered the "operational chief" of the assault was killed in a security raid Saturday. Two gunmen were killed the day of the March 18 attack in Tunis, which was a blow to Tunisia's fledgling democracy and its tourism industry.

"Welcome to Bardo" read a large sign at the museum entrance in Arabic, English and French at its reopening Monday.

A small but steady flow of visitors came, walking past flowers laid in honor of the victims and flags of their many nationalities.

The country's largest museum, renowned for richly colorful Roman mosaics, houses 8,000 works and is a top destination for European cruise ship passengers and other tourists.

Curator Moncef ben Moussa told The Associated Press that a team of experts is working on repairs at the museum after the attack. One bronze sculpture and one mosaic suffered slight damage, and some glass cases were broken.

"This museum will always hold the story and the passage of this terrible moment we lived, of the victims who fell during this terrorist attack," Tourism Minister Selma Elloumi Rekik said. "Now we want to see the positive — Tunisia is open to visitors."

Lebanese tourist Vola Abboud said, "When you see this special art people did, the people's history, when they loved the art and architecture, and now you see the 'ugly people,' this is what they did. ... I feel the spirits of the people who died, their souls.

Tunisia Museum Reopens, That was the message from tens of thousands in the capital where, amid tight security, citizens joined by world leaders have marched to denounce Islamist militants after the deadly Bardo Museum attack.

French President Francois Hollande was there. France marched after its Charlie Hebdo killings in January.

French victims – one of whom has just died from her wounds – were among 21 foreign tourists and a policeman killed in the March 18 massacre in Tunis.

“We are all against terrorism and violence. We are all Bardo. We are all Charlie,” said one woman in the crowd.

“Tunisia loves democracy and freedom. No to terrorism, down with terrorism.”

“We have come here to heal the country’s wounds,” another marcher said.

“We are all united against terrorism.”

Tunisians rallied under the slogan “Le Monde est Bardo” (The World is Bardo) in a country praised as a peaceful democratic model since leading the first Arab Spring uprising in 2011.

One of the most secular nations in the Arab world, Tunisia has mostly avoided violence in the four years since the toppling of autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.

In contrast with Libya, Yemen and Syria which have plunged into war and chaos, it has adopted a new constitution and held free elections.

But the Bardo massacre was one of the worst attacks in its history.

Japanese, Polish, Spanish and Colombian visitors were among those killed in the attack, which the government says was aimed at destroying Tunisia’s vital tourism industry.

Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas were among other foreign leaders honouring Bardo Museum victims on Sunday.

Hours earlier, Tunisia’s government said its forces had killed nine members of a group suspected of carrying out the attack.