Chairperson of the African Union Commission Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemned, on Friday, the shocking statement by Tunisian authorities against fellow Africans, which contradicts the spirit of the organization and its principles.
This follows Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed’s hateful and xenophobic speech, made last Tuesday during a state summit, against Sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia.
In this regard, Deputy Chairperson Monique Nsanzabaganwa and AU Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs Amb Minata Samate met with Tunisia’s Permanent Representative to the AU for urgent consultations, and to express the Union’s deep shock and concern at the form and substance of the statement targeting fellow Africans.
Mahamat urged all countries, particularly AU members, to uphold their international legal commitments to treat all migrants with dignity and to refrain from racially motivated hate speech.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to assisting Tunisian authorities in resolving migratory issues in order to make migration safe, dignified, and regular.