The spokesperson of the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (FTDES) has denounced the silence of the Tunisian authorities concerning the death of migrants in Sfax and Mahdia, calling it a "conspiracy of silence".
Romdhane Ben Amor, the Tunisian Forum’s Spokesperson of FTDES, denounced last week on local radio Express FM the "conspiracy of silence" of Tunisian authorities concerning the finding of tens of bodies of migrants on the coasts of Sfax and Mahdia.
According to the NGO representative, such tragedies are recurrent and do not elicit an adequate response, underscoring a clear information failure on the part of the State.
'Tens of bodies found on the coasts of Sfax and Mahdia'
In the last days, informed Ben Amor, tens of bodies of dead migrants were found on the eastern coasts of Tunisia, in particular in the regions of Sfax and Mahdia, where makeshift dinghies, often coming from Sub-Saharan countries, sink in the attempt to reach the other side of the Mediterranean. "A true humanitarian emergency", Ben Amor said.
FTDES blames the lack of official communication of the exact number of victims, which is considered unacceptable by the organization.
Furthermore, Ben Amor has pointed the finger of responsibility at the practices adopted by the Tunisian coast guard against migrants at sea, which are often characterized by violent interventions, collisions with boats, and the lack of organization in the rescue operations.
According to FTDES, these rescue efforts are largely ineffective. Additionally, authorities frequently fail to identify and return the bodies of those who die at sea to their families, partly due to the absence of a comprehensive DNA database.
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'The silence risks hiding a systematic violation of human rights'
The Forum’s criticism comes amid increasing pressure and repressive actions against NGOs in Tunisia, which are suspected to have intensified following the appointment of Khaled Nouri as Tunisia’s Interior Minister last May.
According to FTDES, Tunisia’s policy of “official silence” before deaths at sea risks hiding the systemic violations of human rights.
Ben Amor has invited the government to guarantee transparency, improve rescue operations at sea, introduce efficient protocols to identify the dead bodies, and cooperate actively with humanitarian organizations of European countries to prevent new tragedies.
"Without an immediate intervention, the migration and humanitarian crisis which persists in the Central Mediterranean will worsen," he concludes.