Tunisia: President of the African Students Association missing, his relatives fear arbitrary arrest

In Tunisia, the Association of African Students and Trainees announces that it has not heard from its former president since March 19. She is worried about a possible arbitrary arrest, even though the young man was known for his militant activity.

Arrests of West African nationals have increased in recent months, and students fear that students could now be targeted. Here, African students, here at the university in Tunis, March 13, 2023. © Fethi Belaïd / AFP

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With our correspondent in Tunis,

Amira Souilem

His friends have not heard from him since March 19: Christian Kwongang, a Cameroonian student at a private university in Tunis, went to a police station in the center of the Tunisian capital, according to his relatives. This in order to recover his residence permit: he has not given any sign of life since.

Without news of him and facing silence from the authorities, the students in question decided to publicize the affair. Especially since

arrests of nationals from West and Central African countries

have increased in Tunisia in recent months. This while

anti-migrant violence has punctuated the year 2023

and the first months of this new year.

The young man in question had himself previously advocated for the release of several of them. Former president of the Association of African Students and Trainees in Tunisia, Christian Kwongang was even received by the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education a few months ago. He then assured him that Tunisia was committed to the “ 

well-being

 ” of “ 

African brothers

 ”.

Christian Kwongang's friends have surrounded themselves with lawyers: they fear that the young man will be worried and threatened because of his militant activity.

Read alsoTunisia: the nightmare continues for thousands of sub-Saharan migrants

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