After being accused of making "racist remarks" against Black migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, Tunisian President Kais Saied has replied by saying he's not racist - because he has African friends.

Standing next to Guinea-Bissau president Umaro Sissoco Embalo during a press conference earlier this week, Saied defended the anti-Black comments he made last month, saying that he had family members who were "married to Africans" and "friends from law school who were Africans”.

Last month, Saied said Black migrants were behind most crime in Tunisia and ordered officials to take "urgent measures" to tackle irregular migration.

On Thursday, ‪@amnesty‬ International and the International Federation for Human Rights (‪@FidhOrg‬ ) both condemned Saied's remarks and said his words had triggered a wave of violence against sub-Saharan African migrants in Tunisia.

"President Saied must retract his comments and order investigations to clearly signal that anti-Black racist violence will not be tolerated," ‪@AmnestyAR‬ director Heba Morayef said.

"The community of Black African migrants in Tunisia is now gripped by fear of assault or being arbitrarily arrested and summarily deported."

According to official figures, there are around 21,000 undocumented migrants from other parts of Africa in Tunisia, which is home to around 12 million people.

Full story: www.newarab.com/news/tunisia-rights-groups-slam-ka…

🎥: Alexander Durie

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