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AU Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat at a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Photo: AMANUEL SILESHI / AFP
The African Union (AU) has dismissed statements by Tunisian President Kais Saied about migrants from South African countries as "shocking".
In a statement on Friday, AU Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat called for a ban on “racist hate speech that could harm people”.
Mahamat reminded all countries, especially African Union member states, to honor their obligations under international law and "to treat all migrants with dignity".
Saied's statements violated "the letter and spirit of our organization and our founding principles."
In a speech on Tuesday, Saied called for action to be taken against the illegal immigration of people from sub-Saharan Africa.
He blamed migrants for "violence, crime and unacceptable acts" in Tunisia.
He spoke literally of "hordes of illegal immigrants" and called for illegal immigration to be "quickly put to an end".
Human rights organizations had criticized his statements.
Opposition activists arrested
Tunisia has been in an economic crisis for years, which has been exacerbated by the corona pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
Recently, there have been increasing supply bottlenecks.
According to the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES), more than 21,000 nationals from South African countries live in the North African country with a population of around twelve million, most of them illegally.
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Tunisian President Kais Saied delivers a speech at a palace near Tunis
Photo: POOL New / REUTERS
The Tunisian security authorities have repeatedly taken action against members of the opposition in recent weeks.
Several journalists, dissidents and businessmen were arrested.
The accusation was to plan a conspiracy against the security of the country.
The government opponents accuse Saied of a coup d'état.
In 2021 he ousted parliament and replaced the government with ministers he had chosen.
He has also increased the powers of the President so that almost all power in the country is in his hands.
more on the subject
Economic crisis and food shortages: Thousands of Tunisians protest against President Saied
Doctors emigrate: How Tunisia loses its bright mindsBy Monika Bolliger
Referendum on new constitution: Tunisia's president buries democracyA commentary by Monika Bolliger
After the outbreak of the Arab Spring in 2011, Tunisia was seen as a beacon of hope for democratization in the region.
Now observers fear that Saied wants to turn the last democratic state in North Africa into an autocracy (for more background, read the report "Arab Autumn" by our North Africa expert here).
mpz/AFP
