The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Tunisia's National Dialogue Quartet for helping the country's transition to democracy.

The Nobel committee said the group of civil society organisations had made a "decisive contribution" to democracy after the 2011 revolution.

It said the quartet helped establish a political process when the country "was on the brink of civil war".

Tunisia's uprising was the first and most successful of the Arab Spring.

While other countries - Libya, Egypt, Yemen and Syria - either reverted to authoritarian rule or descended into violence and chaos, Tunisia managed a successful transition to democracy.

Houcine Abassi, head of Tunisia's General Labour Union - one of the groups in the quartet - said the award was a "tribute to martyrs of a democratic Tunisia".

"This effort by our youth has allowed the country to turn the page on dictatorship," he said.

Abdessattar Ben Moussa of the Human Rights League - another of the quartet - said the award "fills us with joy" at a time when Tunisia "is going through a period marked by political tensions and terrorist threats".

He told the Associated Press he hoped it would encourage the winners to take a "larger responsibility" in solving Tunisia's problems.

Tunisia's President Beji Caid Essebsi, said the award recognised the country's decision to choose the "path of consensus".

Source: BBC