The African Bar Association, AfBA, has lamented xenophobic onslaught on Black African Migrants in Tunisia.
The group attributed the wanton attacks to the xenophobic comments made by the country’s President, Kais Saied, earlier this year.
Saied had, during a Security Council meeting on February 21, made some discriminatory comments which triggered an upsurge in attacks against Black Migrants in the country, including students and asylum seekers, with the country’s police arresting and deporting many.
Reacting to the development, the Association, in a press release by Douglas Ogbankwa, its Director of Strategic Communications, spoke ill of the incident, calling on the African Union, AU, to call President Saed to order.
AfBA reminded Tunisian President that he was a signatory to many international treaties that guaranteed free movement, cautioning him to respect those treaties.
The association further called the attention of President Saied to the uniqueness of Africa, saying it had no form of discrimination based on religion or colour, but it’s in African spirit.
According to the group: “The African Bar Association observes with dismay the xenophobic and racial attacks on migrant Africans in Tunisia. The AfBA finds that ironically the queer attacks are products of state irresponsibility tied to violence simulating comments of the Tunisian President, Kais Saied.
“AfBA reminds the Tunisia President, Government and people that Tunisia is a signatory to many International Conventions and Treaties, that guarantee free movements of persons and international humanitarian rights.
“AfBA finds it distasteful that the Tunisian Government and People are xenophobic and racial in a free world that is now essentially a global village.
“It is the desire of AfBA that Africans should strive towards a borderless Continent that is visa free and characterised by common ties, common interests and common trade, in keeping with the tenets of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA).
“The actions of the Tunisian Government on this issue, negates the Treaty of the African Union, which is predicated on regional integration, free movement of persons/goods, regional trade and regional cooperation. We call on other Member States of the African Union (AU) and the African Union Commission to call the Tunisian President and Government to Order.
“AfBA states that the uniqueness of Africa as a continent, is not in the colour of our skins or the tenets of our religions, it is in African Spirit which bears no discrimination to colour or creed, but finds expression in our communal spirit, common ties, common interests and common goals
Meanwhile, the Amnesty International had similarly called on President Saied to go ahead and retract his words and order investigations into the crisis to show that racist-related attacks would not be tolerated.
