Pan African Council responds to Tunisia, SFAX racial attacks

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STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO TUNISIA, SFAX RACIAL ATTACKS.

Revolutionary and Solidarity Greetings comrades within the continent of Africa
and those in Diaspora.

We are saddened with the Racial tensions that are on the rise in Tunisia’s second
biggest city of Sfax. This is after a Tunisian man was stabbed to death three days
ago in a fight between locals and migrants. Three suspects from Cameroon have
been arrested since then. But clashes between Tunisians and migrants from
other African countries have gone on for weeks now. We don’t support any
violence or violation of law either domestic law (Tunisia law) or even United
Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was proclaimed by the United Nations General
Assembly in Paris on 10 December 194 (General Assembly Resolution)
217 A) which Tunisia signed and ratified and acts upon as a common standard of
achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time,
fundamental human rights to be universally protected. The preamble of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights states; “Whereas the peoples of the
United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human
rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of
men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better
standards of life in larger freedom” We believe that with recent occurrence in
Tunisia, the country has violated these basic aspirations on the charter. We
equally condemn the targeted attacks on Africans from Sub Sahara carried out
by part of Tunisians at night against Africans such as attack using Machetes,
rounding up of Africans by Tunisians police just to be dumped at the militarized
broadline of Tunisia and Libya, the forcefully evacuation of Africans and even the
earlier comments of Tunisians president Kai’s Saied.

Such atrocities contravene article one of the Universal Human Rights Declaration
which states “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.
They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one
another in a spirit of brotherhood”
We therefore appeal to Tunisian government and its citizens to treat Africans
from Sub Sahara with the spirit of brotherhood (Ubuntu).
We condemn with strongest term possible the killing of Tunisian citizen and we
acknowledge the steps that have been taken to ensure that justice is found by
arresting the suspect behind this heinous act. At the same time, we totally
disagree with mass violence targeted to Africans in response to this act by both
the citizens and the state. No life is more important that the other and per article
three of universal Declaration of human rights, “everyone has the right to life,
liberty and security of person”. We therefore call upon the Tunisian government
to stop this and to equally take action to its citizens who are perpetrating this
heinous act.

As we speak now, there are men, women and children who have been left to
endure the intense heat in the desert where they have been placed after being
rounded up at night and placed on buses by Tunisian administration. These
people are sheltering under a banner desperate to escape the days heat. This
indeed is contrary to Article five of Universal Declaration of Human Rights which
states that, “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment or punishment”
We would like to remind the Tunisian government on some of the very
fundamental articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as follows;
i.
Article 6; Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person
before the law.
ii.
Article 7; All are equal before the law and are entitled without any
discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection
against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any
incitement to such discrimination.

iii.
Article 9; No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
iv. Article 12; No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy,
family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation.
Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or
attacks.
v. Article 28; Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the
rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized. Tunisia
signed the Convention on April 12, 1966, and ratified it on January 13, 1967, with
no reservations. We therefore remind them to respect and uphold the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
We therefore give Tunisia government ultimatum to resolve the situation
immediately within 7days failure to which we call for the following actions; 1.)
The UN and its member states to put sanctions on Tunisia for violating Universal
Declaration of Human Rights.
2.)
The AU and its member states to put sanctions on Tunisia for mistreating
Africans in Africa soil.
3.)
All Africa citizens both in Africa and Diaspora including people of Africa
descent to protest any product, services from Tunisia and equally organize for
protest against Tunisia.
4.)
We call for closure of all Tunisia embassies outside Tunisia that are within
UN and AU member states and their attaché and ambassadors to be deported.
5.)
We equally call for revoking Tunisian airline right to land in any territory
outside Tunisia for violating Basic Fundamental Human rights.
6.)
Lastly, we demand that Tunisia government to be fined and pay for
atrocities committed against humanity failure to which, the country should be
prosecuted at the ICJ for such heinous act.to advise our peers.
Yours faithfully,
…………………………
…………………………….
MR DONKOR SAKPA

MR PIGBIN ODIMWENGU

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR POLITICAL DESK CHAIRMAN