Moussa Faki Mahamet, the chairperson of the African Union, has condemned a declaration made by Tunisian president Kais Saied.
“The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, strongly condemns the shocking statement issued by Tunisian authorities targeting fellow Africans, which goes against the letter and the spirit of our organisation and founding principles,” the AU Commission said in a statement on 24/2/23.
The declaration comes after Tunisia’s President claimed that there was a plan to establish sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia to modify its demographic makeup.
The development has heightened fears because North Africa has been intermittently plagued by xenophobic violence, which has seen sub-Saharan Africans targeted.
Tunisia has especially seen sub-Saharan Africans report that they have been subject to physical and verbal harassment in Tunisia on a regular basis.
This is despite the fact that the country’s constitution forbids all forms of racial discrimination. And, further, in October 2018, Tunisia’s parliament passed legislation criminalising racist speech, incitement to hatred, and discrimination.
The controversy occurs in the midst of an economic crisis and a crackdown on critics who claim the president is attempting to seize legal authority. In 2021, he suspended parliament after it disobeyed him by voting to revoke decrees he had used to seize near-complete authority. Thousands of trade-unionists protested throughout the country, citing worsening economic conditions and the arrest of a key union leader.
Tunisia is currently experiencing a shortage of basic food products, and is requesting a $1.9 billion IMF loan.
The reality within Tunisia has caused some to believe that his comments are intended to divert attention away from his domestic problems.
