Tunisia president - The African Mirror

May

2023

Tunisia president pledges safety for Jewish citizens after synagogue attack

TUNISIAN president Kais Saied pledged to guarantee the safety of Jewish citizens and their temples, after meeting the country's chief rabbi in the wake of a deadly attack at a synagogue. Last Tuesday a National Guardsman killed two Jewish visitors and two policemen at the synagogue on Djerba island - Africa's oldest - before being shot dead. He had earlier killed a colleague at a naval installation. Saied last week blamed the attack on "criminals" seeking to harm the tourism sector. On Wednesday he met with Tunisia's chief rabbi, chief Christian archbishop and Muslim mufti, saying that receiving clerics sent…

Mar

2023

By The African Mirror

Tunisia’s president is targeting migrants to divert attention from serious domestic problems – a classic tactic

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

TUNISIA’S president Kais Saied recently called for urgent measures against illegal immigration of sub-Saharan African nationals. He said they were a source of “violence, crime and unacceptable acts”. His comments were condemned by the international community and the World Bank paused talks over its future engagement with Tunisia. They also led to widespread protests in Tunisia while hundreds of migrants fled the country. Author JEAN-PIERRE CASSARINO, Visiting professor, College of Europe Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Jean-Pierre Cassarino, an expert on international migration in the Maghreb and Africa region, to shed light on migration to Tunisia and what…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

Tunisia president rejects foreign interference after U.S. concern over arrests

NEWS

TAREK AMARA TUNISIA'S president rejected "foreign interference and harm to the country's sovereignty" after the United States raised concerns over a recent wave of arrests of his critics. "We are able to diagnose our problems," President Kais Saied said, adding whoever wants to help Tunisians should "return our looted money and drop the accumulated debts." The United States on Wednesday said it was "deeply concerned" by the reported arrests of political figures, business leaders and journalists in Tunisia. In recent days, Tunisian police have detained leading figures from the opposition or critics of Saied, including prominent politicians, an influential businessman, and the…