Tunisia: 8 Illegal Migrants and a Citizen Die in Truck Rollover

Nine people died on Sunday, most of them illegal migrants, in a traffic accident that occurred in the Kairouan Governorate, central Tunisia. The regional director of civil protection in Kairouan, Colonel Hamdi Ouesif, stated that "nine individuals, eight from sub-Saharan African countries and one Tunisian, lost their lives in a traffic accident in the country after a truck carrying 12 sub-Saharan migrants and two Tunisians overturned." Ouesif noted that "ambulances and civil protection units rushed to the scene, and the bodies along with three injured individuals with varying degrees of injuries were transported to local hospitals." Tunisia is experiencing a debate regarding the African migration issue, with Tunisian officials stating that a collective solution must be sought for this matter instead of placing the burden of European policies in the region on Tunisia. In this context, Tunisian Foreign Minister Nabil Ammar, in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, said that "Tunisia will not accept the covert resettlement of irregular migrants."