Summary:

On 27 June 2024, a Tunisian court sentenced a a former Sudanese soldier to 10 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack in Tunisia. 

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The convicted individual is a former member of the Sudanese army who fled to Libya during the Sudanese civil war. In Libya, he trained with a terrorist organization before entering Tunisian territory illegally.  

The individual was arrested in Zarzis, in the southeast of Tunisia, by security forces who reported finding pictures of him carrying various firearms.  

Outlook: 

The arrest and sentencing of the former Sudanese soldier came as Tunisia multiplies counter-terrorism measures to reassure its partners and tourist visitors that it maintains firm control over the country’s security.  

Nevertheless, the publicization of the nationality of the arrested soldier by media would favor the framing of migration as security threat, an effort that could be used to justify endeavors by the State to impose restrictive, security-oriented border-control policies with the aid of its European and Maghrebi partners.  

The ostracization and disenfranchisement of migrants is well underway in Tunisia with legal activities reinforcing the collective understanding that assistance or cooperation with migrants could result in repercussions. The recent sentence of this Sudanese individual for terrorism could further encourage the demonization of Sub-Saharan migrants among Tunisian residents. 

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