Tunisia Reaffirms Its Historical and Strategic Anchorage on the African Continent
On the occasion of Africa Day, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration, and Tunisians Abroad released an institutional video reaffirming Tunisia's historical and strategic anchorage on the African continent. The video, which highlights the country's diplomatic choices since independence, emphasizes its role as a major axis of its contemporary foreign policy.
The video begins with an etymological reminder: the name "Africa" is believed to have originated from the ancient appellation of Tunisia, "Ifriqiya." This original link sets the tone for the official message, which asserts that Tunisia's membership in the continent "has never been a geographical coincidence, but a historical privilege and a sovereign choice."
The official message also highlights Tunisia's pioneering role as a founding member of the Organization of African Unity (OAU), created in Addis Ababa on May 25, 1963. Tunisia's contribution goes beyond its founding act: the country has supported liberation movements, fought colonialism and apartheid, and defended African causes in international forums. "Tunisia did not simply join this vision; it contributed to building it," emphasizes the video.
Tunisia's diplomatic network has expanded, and its integration into major African economic ensembles has increased. The country has joined the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in 2018 and ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (ZLECAf) in 2020.
Tunisia has become a hub for several pan-African institutions and has multiplied business forums and trade fairs to stimulate intra-African trade. The country is positioning itself as a natural crossroads between Europe and Africa, promoting several large-scale logistics projects, such as the project for a land corridor to sub-Saharan Africa, the Day of Tunisian Exporters, and the launch of the AIMEC center.
Tunisia's soft power is also exercised through education and training. The country currently hosts thousands of students, researchers, and professionals from sub-Saharan Africa, making academic mobility a vector of human and scientific rapprochement.
In terms of collective security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirms Tunisia's commitment to peace, illustrated by its historical and ongoing participation in UN peacekeeping missions on the continent, including in the MINUSCA in the Central African Republic.
Resolutely focused on the African Union's Agenda 2063, the video concludes on a note of ambition, placing youth and integration at the heart of the continent's future. The message ends with a strong quote calling for the emergence of a new African world order: "We do not obtain what we desire by simple wishes, but the world is conquered by struggle and perseverance."
