Lyndon Mukasa Playing the white racist tune

Wave of anti-Black hate in Tunisia mirrors ‘white replacement’ paranoia of Far Right in the West

THE PRESIDENT of Tunisia, Kais Saied, indulged in dangerous racist ‘great replacement theory’ rhetoric against Black Africans, sparking a wave of fear leading to thousands of Sub-Saharans fleeing the north African state.

Mr Saied said that “hoards of irregular migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa” had come to Tunisia “with all the violence, crime and unacceptable practices that entails”.

He added that this was “unnatural”, and part of a plot to “change the demographic makeup” turning Tunisia into “just another African country that doesn’t belong to the Arab and Islamic nations anymore.”

The speech was met with great controversy both inside and outside Tunisia primarily because it has sparked a wave of anti-Black attacks against Black migrants as well as Black Tunisians, shining a light on Tunisian racism that had long been ignored until recently.

What makes the Tunisian president’s statements interesting is the way in which he has framed migration, race and national identity.

While there is rightly controversy and opposition to the obvious anti-Black and racist framing of migration, there is also some familiarity in those statements.

These racist arguments have been made much closer to home and President Saied’s remarks are not new or original. In fact, it is borrowed rhetoric from far right white nationalist circles across the Western world who believe that migration from the non-white global south will eventually lead to the extinction of the white race.

This theory is known as the “great replacement” and is largely considered to be a conspiracy theory that is rooted in a racist analysis and inter- pretation of demography. But why is the president of Tunisia attempting to use a white nationalist conspiracy theory that is antagonistic to African interests, and what does the African country hope to gain from using it?

Despite President Saied going back on some of his comments, denying accusations of racism and that he in fact “has Black friends,” his racist comments have been accompanied by increasing over-policing of Black African communities under the guise of targeting illegal migrants.

Suspicious

The issue of immigration in Tunisia seems suspicious as it is estimated that there are only 21,000 African migrants out of 12 million people in Tunisia.

This is hardly a migration crisis and the measures taken are highly disproportionate. This action ignores the fact that when migrants are racialised, the distinction between a Black Tunisian, an African student and an illegal migrant disappears and Black communities regardless of their immigration status become the targets of greater surveil lance, violence, discrimination and marginalisation.

Up to 10 to 15 per cent of Tunisia’s population is Black. Many are descendents of en slaved people trafficked in the Arab slave trade prior to the 19th century, but many are descendents of earlier African populations as well as recent waves of immigration in the 19th through to the 20th and 21st centuries.

The hate crime spike in Tunisia has impacted many Black residents, like Aboubacar Moussa, right, a 27-year-old who was as saulted by four Tunisians while waiting for a taxi. As a result of the president’s statements, hundreds of acts of violence have increased towards Black Africans with little concern for their rights in Tunisian society. Reports of illegal evictions, homes being burned down and families being attacked in the streets have surfaced. The African Union (AU) has condemned the rhetoric of the Tunisian government while African countries such as Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea have sent planes to evacuate their citizens from the country. President Saied came to power in 2019 under a platform of reform and anti-corruption. According to the World Bank, Tunisia has experienced a decade of lost growth following the 2011 revolution which was later exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. GDP growth had declined to 1.7 per cent from 2011 to 2019 with a further 8.7 per cent contraction in 2020.

A lack of job creation for the working age population and the war in Ukraine has pushed food and energy prices up which has been compounded by lower oil and gas production. Increased demand for energy and agricultural products have made the Tunisian economy much more vulnerable to shocks.

While there has been some recovery in certain sectors such as travel, business, mining and manufacturing, unemployment remains high at 15.5 per cent of the population.

President Saied has sought to reduce unemployment but many of his promises have failed to manifest for the Tunisian pop- ulation. He has been unable to secure loans, grants and vital financial aid for the relief of these economic crises. As the rate of inflation has increased, prices have skyrocketed.

Combined with these challenges, the president has relied on various conspiracy theories to explain the lack of growth while cultivating support among his base.

He consolidated power by dismissing parliament, the judiciary and the Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi in response to massive protests against police brutality, economic hardship and the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.

Hostile

Moreover, the Tunisian government under President Saied has targeted political opponents and shut down media platforms deemed hostile to the government. With ongoing economic issues, the Tunisian president has sought to divert attention away from economic issues, and towards the issue of migration as the source of the country’s problems.

It could therefore be argued that the Tunisian president is attempting to exploit the disposability of Black people in his society by mimicking the immigration dog whistles and conspiracy rhetoric of the “great replacement” that is found in Europe.

What the president didn’t anticipate was the level of opposition among ordinary Tunisians towards this idea. Many Tunisians have taken to the streets in protest over the racist statements made.

Protesters assert that the president’s attempts to divide Tunisians is a sign of desperation in light of no solutions to the multiple challenges facing the country.

In addition to this, the president has won no allies in the West who have largely ignored the idea of Tunisia being a “White” country being overrun by Black Africans.

While he still has some support domestically, the North African country has also alienated itself from its African neighbours, and the ongoing economic and political issues could in the long term place President Saied in a vulnerable position going forward.