His words do not pass in Tunisia and abroad. Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed sparked a huge controversy on Tuesday by directly attacking sub-Saharan migrants present in his country, who he said threatened him. In response, the African Union (AU) rejected these remarks and called on its member states to “refrain from any hate speech of a racist nature, likely to harm people”, Friday, February 24.
President Saïed on Tuesday advocated “urgent measures” against the illegal immigration of nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, saying that their presence in Tunisia was a source of “violence, crimes and unacceptable acts”. During a meeting, he also made vehement remarks about the arrival of “hordes of illegal immigrants” and insisted on “the need to put an end quickly” to this immigration, statements immediately denounced by several local NGOs.
In a statement signed by him, the chairman of the AU commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said on Friday “strongly condemn[s] the shocking statements made by the Tunisian authorities against fellow Africans, who go to against the letter and spirit of our organization and our founding principles”. “Unfounded accusations”, reacted on Saturday the Tunisian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“Treat all migrants with dignity, wherever they come from”
According to the African Union, this regrettable episode “reminds all countries, in particular the Member States of the African Union, that they must honor their obligations under international law (…), namely to treat all migrants with dignity, wherever they come from, refrain from hate speech of a racist nature, likely to harm people, and prioritize their safety and their fundamental rights”. Moussa Faki Mahamat also reiterates in this press release “the [AU] Commission’s commitment to support the Tunisian authorities in resolving migration issues in order to make migration safe, dignified and regular”.
In another press release, also released on Friday, the Malian embassy in Tunisia said it was following “with the greatest concern the situation of Malians” in the country. Referring to “very worrying moments”, it invites its nationals “to calm and be vigilant” and recommends to “those who wish [to] register for a voluntary return”.
Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar said in a statement on Saturday that he had met the day before with ambassadors from African countries who rightly expressed “their concern to respect Tunisian laws relating to immigration”, and assured them ” the commitment of the authorities to protect foreign residents of all nationalities”.
Rise of the Tunisian Nationalist Party
Mr. Saïed’s speech, which concentrates all powers after having suspended Parliament in July 2021 and dismissed the government, came as the country is going through a serious economic crisis, marked by recurring shortages of basic products, and is experiencing political tensions. In recent weeks, racist speech and hate speech have thus taken on a new dimension, encouraged by the rise of the Tunisian Nationalist Party, a formation that recently appeared on the Internet and which calls for the expulsion of sub-Saharan migrants via an online petition.
According to official figures quoted by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights, Tunisia, a country of some 12 million inhabitants, has more than 21,000 nationals from sub-Saharan African countries, most of them in an irregular situation. They are more according to local NGOs – between 30,000 and 50,000. A population that provides “cheap and consuming labor that everyone benefits from, and often even abuses.” Their presence and their irregular work on the territory were until now known and tolerated by the Tunisian State, although it has always been illegal, “said Kenza Ben Azouz, specialist in racism in Tunisia, in an article in Le Monde.