The chief of the U.S. Africa Command has warned about al-Qaeda attempts to gain a foothold in Tunisia, The Associated Press reported.

Gen. Carter Ham told Tunisian radio late Tuesday, March 26, that "it is very clear to me that al-Qaida intends to establish a presence in Tunisia."

The North African nation of 10 million was the birthplace of the 2011 pro-democracy Arab Spring uprisings and has since seen a rise in radical Islamic movements.

Ham said that following talks with the government, which is led by moderate Islamists, he is convinced it is "committed to doing everything it can to prevent al-Qaeda from establishing a presence."

Ham, who took over Africa Command in March 2011 and is stepping down, was on a regional tour that included visits to southern Algeria and Libya.