After the racist remarks of the Tunisian president, Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the boss of ECOWAS, excused his counterpart. Are the African authorities too conciliatory with Tunis?
“I have a number of family members who are married to Africans. My friends from law school in Tunis were Africans.” His defending himself from being racist, after his remarks on sub-Saharan migrants, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed has gone a little deeper. To listen to him, Tunisia would therefore not be part of Africa. And there would be, in his remarks concerning the Sub-Saharans who would be, in his country, the source of "violence, crimes and unacceptable acts", no racism because Kaïs Saïed knew many Africans.
Worried about the situation of sub-Saharans in Tunisia, this Wednesday, March 8, Guinea-Bissau President Umaro Sissoco Embaló, also head of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), met with Kais Saied. When it came to the Tunisian president's accusations of racism, the latter got carried away: “What are they talking about? They wander”. Before ensuring that “this situation concerning Africans cannot be interpreted by malicious languages (…) as racism”.
Timid reactions from African presidents
However, several countries have already repatriated their nationals still present in Tunisia, for fear of violent acts against them. On their return to their country, Ivorians, for example, described “a real hunt for black men”. For its part, the Student and School Confederation of Africa has asked the Tunisian State to take emergency measures to protect sub-Saharan students, who it believes are increasingly victims of violence.
But nothing should change. Notably thanks to the complacency of sub-Saharan heads of state. Admittedly, several of them, like the African Union, deplored Kaïs Saïed's remarks. But the reactions were timid, as underlined by the Senegalese Aminata Touré, for example, who asks "that the Tunisian ambassador to Senegal be sent back to Tunis until further notice with a message of indignation" and proposes the suspension of participation of Tunisia from the bodies of the African Union and the African Cup of Nations.
✅ I raise my voice following the words of the Tunisian president on immigration. I express my disappointment at the lack of reaction from African presidents.
👉English….. https://t.co/fvbHQhIcvS
👉Wolof….. https://t.co/sQ2GoSdtwd
👉French…. https://t.co/ouGWgzHuax pic.twitter.com/TDrTXmahEs— Aminata TOURE (@aminatatoureklk) February 28, 2023
In this context, the timidity with which Umaro Sissoco Embaló condemned Kaïs Saïed's remarks raises questions. The president of ECOWAS even speaks of "misinterpretation". After the statements of the Tunisian president, the World Bank decided to freeze any new financing to Tunisia, the IMF could do the same. It remains to be seen what the African Union will decide. The continental institution has, for the moment, rebelled against the words of Kaïs Saïed. But has not yet threatened Tunisia with exclusion.