The African Union issued a statement urging Tunisia to "abstain from racialized hate speech that could harm people".
The AU Commission summoned the Tunisian representative to an urgent meeting to register “deep shock and concern at the form and substance” of the remarks on behalf of the continental bloc.
Citizens of countries in sub-Saharan Africa were the target of racial attacks following a speech by President Kais Saied, blaming undocumented migrants for the rise in violent crime.
He also claimed that the migration was a conspiracy to change Tunisia's demographic composition, a speech followed by dozens of arrests, drawing criticism from human rights activists.
Hundreds of people protested in Tunis, the country's capital, to denounce Saied's speech, accusing him of racist comments against refugees, with countries such as Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Guinea Conakry starting to repatriate their citizens.
Tunisia has rejected responsibility for the racial violence, saying it only sought to ensure "the laws of the land are respected to prevent the spread of chaos".
