"We must quickly put an end to the presence in Tunisia of hordes of illegal immigrants who are a source of violence, crimes and unacceptable acts."
The polemical remarks of Kaïs Saïed, pronounced on February 21, led to dismissals, attacks, violent expulsions of sub-Saharan migrants in Tunisia.
A situation that fuels anger in Senegal.
Fifteen associations have come together in a "collective of organizations and actors of migration in Senegal" to demand sanctions from the international community after the red line crossed by Kaïs Saïed.
"The collective recommends that the Tunisian president take a step back, withdraw his remarks, apologize to the entire African community and commit to respecting and ensuring respect for the rights of the African populations on its territory", demands the collective press release.
The Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up a crisis unit.
Unlike Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, which have already organized repatriation flights for their nationals wishing to return to the country, Dakar wanted to be more measured in its reaction: a register has been opened to "identify our nationals who wish to return to Senegal", indicated the ministry, which specified on March 5 that "no incident concerning a compatriot [had] been reported in Tunisia".
>> To see, our Focus: "Tunisia: sub-Saharan migrants leave in an emergency in the face of the surge of hatred"
A prohibited event
The timid attempt at mediation by Umaro Sissoco Embaló, the Bissau-Guinean head of state who is also the current president of ECOWAS, did not find favor in the eyes of the Senegalese.
The leader of Guinea-Bissau traveled to Tunis to calm the situation.
"We are all Africans. You are African yourself, whatever the color of your skin... We are all brothers," he said, saying the Tunisian president's remarks had been misinterpreted. .
Senegalese associations are demanding a public apology from Kaïs Saïed.
© Elimane Ndao, France 24
An approach deemed "very soft" by Ahmadou Bamba Fall, president of the Village du migrant association and member of the collective of migration actors in Senegal.
"When the World Bank sanctioned Tunisia, when Tunisian associations demonstrated against their president, we expected more firmness from ECOWAS. We expected Embaló to denounce the about Kaïs Saïed and asks him to withdraw them, and that he asks the Tunisians to stop their actions against the sub-Saharans", he explains.
The collective and other civil society organizations like the Front for a popular and pan-African anti-imperialist revolution (Frapp), a Senegalese sovereignty movement, hoped to make their voices heard during a demonstration in front of the Tunisian embassy in Dakar. on March 3 and by the symbolic deposit of a letter of protest to the ambassador.
The demonstration was however banned by the Senegalese authorities and 19 protesters were arrested, before being released 24 hours later.
Call for a boycott of products and services
Guy Marius Sagna, deputy of the opposition and administrative secretary of Frapp, was one of the demonstrators.
The protesters want to initiate a boycott of products from Tunisia.
"We have launched a campaign to boycott all Tunisian products but also all Tunisian services ranging from Tunisair to food products from [the company] Jadida. We asked all Senegalese and all Africans from here or of the diaspora to boycott these products and services", says the deputy.
Guy Marius Sagna, deputy of the Senegalese opposition, is one of the protesters against violence against sub-Saharans in Tunisia.
© Elimane Ndao, France 24
The letter of protest was finally able to be filed on Thursday March 9.
A letter in which is denounced "the use of black Africans as scapegoats for the social crisis in Tunisia".
Another demonstration against the Tunisian president and the violence suffered by black migrants was scheduled for Saturday March 11 in the Place du Souvenir Africain in Dakar.
However, the prefect decided to ban it, citing "risks of disturbing public order" and "obstructing the free movement of people and their property".
Protesters are still reluctant to defy the ban.
Much to the chagrin of Bourguiba
Despite its inflexibility in the face of the comments made by Kaïs Saïed, the collective nevertheless makes allowances.
Its members repeat over and over again that their antagonism is not aimed at the Tunisian people but their president, as well as the Tunisians who have committed violence against sub-Saharan migrants.
They thus appreciated the demonstration of February 25 in Tunis, when the Tunisian civil society denounced the remarks of its president.
>> To read also: "Anti-migrant discourse in Tunisia: 'A way to make people forget the country's problems'"
Senegal and Tunisia have in the past maintained close relations, especially in the aftermath of independence.
The Tunisian father of the nation Habib Bourguiba was adored by the Senegalese for his positions in favor of a "free Africa", according to historians interviewed by France 24. A large avenue in Dakar bears his name.
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