United States legislators have warned of a “stark acceleration in Tunisia’s autocratic consolidation” under President Kais Saied, while decrying the Tunisian leader’s “repugnant, racist, and xenophobic remarks about migrants.”
In a letter to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken this week, members of the US House of Representatives urged President Joe Biden’s administration to “ensure that any US foreign assistance to Tunisia supports the restoration of inclusive, democratic governance and rule of law.”
Monday’s letter came in the wake of several high-profile arrests of Tunisian opposition figures, as well as activists, journalists, and business figures in Tunisia. Rights groups have accused Saied of moving to consolidate power beginning in 2021, including by shutting down the elected parliament and moving to rule by decree before rewriting a new constitution that was passed in a poorly attended referendum last year. Rights advocates also have called for the US to pause a $1.9bn International Monetary Fund bailout under discussion for Tunisia, pending reforms.
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