In an interview granted to the French press agency, the head of Tunisian diplomacy Nabil Ammar affirmed that his country advocated “appeasement”, while ruling out apologizing after the outcry aroused by a speech denounced as racist by the President Kaïs Saïed on sub-Saharan migrants.
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On February 21, the Head of State had called for “urgent measures” against the illegal immigration of nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, affirming that their presence in Tunisia was a source of “violence and crimes”. Referring to the arrival of “hordes of illegal immigrants”, he argued that this immigration was part of a “criminal enterprise” intended to change the demographic composition of Tunisia in order to to blur its “Arab-Muslim” character.
Several NGOs denounced “racist and hateful” speech and the African Union condemned “shocking” statements. “It’s really a bad trial of misleading interpretation of the words of the high Tunisian authorities on this subject. It has been a few days since this happened and now we must keep a cool head, we must appease, and the messages of appeasement have already been transmitted through official and other channels,” said Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar . “No, there is no question of an apology at all, we have not harmed anyone,” he added.
Resurgence of attacks
According to official figures quoted by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), Tunisia has more than 21,000 nationals of sub-Saharan African countries, the majority in an irregular situation, i.e. less than 0.2% of a total population of about 12 million. “For migrants who are legal, there is no problem. On the contrary, we want more,” added Nabil Ammar. “And illegal migrants are called upon to return home, but with respect for their rights and their dignity.”
After President Saïed’s charge, several NGOs and witnesses reported an upsurge in attacks against African migrants who feel “delivered to popular vindictiveness” according to representatives of this community.
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“We must not mix up individual actions and acts authorities. The authorities are taking all measures to protect all migrants in Tunisia, whether legal or illegal,” said the head of diplomacy. He defended Kaïs Saïed’s speech, arguing that “the Tunisian authorities are within their right to warn when there are increasing flows of illegal immigrants with all the consequences that this may entail”.
Mr Saied’s statements about the existence of a ‘criminal enterprise’ aimed at changing the demographic makeup of Tunisia have drawn comparisons with the ‘great replacement’ conspiracy theory endorsed in France by far-right polemicist Eric Zemmour. “It’s just one element, why did the commentators seize on this element to make it the central element? And even if this study exists, what is the problem, it is not the Tunisian authorities who wrote it”, affirmed Ammar, who also called on “friends of Tunisia” to defend him within the framework of this controversy.
He also denied accusations that Kais Saïed’s speech was intended to divert attention from deteriorating living conditions and a political situation that was further tense in February with a series of arrests. “Of course not, these are their interpretations, this is not reality”, does he have it.
(with AFP)
