Tunisian politicians and civil society groups have expressed their rejection of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s upcoming visit to Tunisia.
Hundreds of people are expected to gather in front of the presidential palace in Carthage to express their opposition to MBS’s visit to the country, Tunisian activist Tarek Kahlawi told Al Jazeera.
"It is a shame that Tunisia, which has witnessed a democratic transition and a revolution against tyranny and dictatorship, will receive a criminal whose hands were stained with the blood of Saudis and Yemenis,” he was quoted.
Tunisia’s Journalists: MBS is true enemy of free expression
Tunisian activists are asking a court to bar Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman from visiting the North African country in protest over the killing of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Tunisia’s Journalists Syndicate issued a statement condemning the visit and labeling Prince Mohamed a "true enemy of free expression.” The activists say they will hold a protest if he does come, Bloomberg mentioned. On his Facebook page, the head of the Tunisian Journalists’ Syndicate, Naji Al-Baghouri, criticized the crown prince’s visit saying: "Khashoggi’s blood is still warm, the murderer Bin Salman is not welcome in the country.”
Objections to the visit, which has also been criticized by Tunisians on social media, casts a shadow over Saudi efforts to move beyond the Khashoggi controversy and show it’s business as usual.
Hamma Hammami, spokesperson of the main opposition party, Popular Front, also denounced MBS’s visit and considered it as a "provocation to the Tunisian people and its revolution and principles.”
Bin Salman aims to get out of his isolation
By visiting Tunisia, the group said Bin Salman aims to "get out of his isolation” following the widespread criticism he has faced on charges of involvement in the assassination of Khashoggi, juancole mentioned.
The visit is part of Prince Mohammed’s first tour abroad since the killing of Saudi writer Jamal Khashoggi at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul, which has widely been blamed on the crown prince.
Saida Qarash, a spokesperson of the Tunisian government, confirmed the visit of Prince Mohammed, also known as MBS, on November 27 via a local radio station.
A world tour to enhance diplomatic relations with Saudi partners
Appearing to have put behind him the tense backlash of the Jamal Khashoggi saga, the Saudi crown initiated a scheduled series of diplomatic trips which the Saudi royal court has called "a world tour to enhance diplomatic relations with Saudi partners”.
The crown prince arrived in Abu Dhabi late on Thursday and is due to visit other countries in the region, including Bahrain and Egypt, where he will be warmly received by allied leaders who have stood firmly by his side amid international outrage over the murder of Khashoggi.
Nothing certain about the date and the agenda of MBS visit to Algiers
Quoting Algerian diplomatic sources, Algiers-based outlet TSA reported that authorities in the North African country "are preparing to host the Saudi crown prince in December.” While nothing certain has been shared about the date and the agenda of MBS’ visit to Algiers, "there is one certainty: the Saudi prince will soon come to Algeria,” the newspaper wrote.
The President of Algerian Islamist party Society for Peace (MSP), Abderrazak Makri, has strongly opposed Saudi Crown Prince’s intention to include Algeria in his world tour.
Bin Salman’s visit to Algeria is neither in "favor” of the country’s image
In his party meeting held, Makri said that the Saudi Crown Prince is responsible for " the death of children and civilians of Yemen, the imprisonment of many preachers, jurists and men of culture in the Kingdom and, most recently, the assassination” of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Quoted by Algerian news outlet TSA, Makri said that bin Salman’s visit to Algeria is neither in "favor” of the country’s image "nor to its reputation.” He added that MBS is "attempting to reassure Algeria about the drop in oil prices”. Algeria is among oil producing countries affected by the drop in oil prices.
Morocco absence from the Saudi’s itinerary
Meanwhile, Morocco, a traditionally strong Saudi ally, is conspicuous by its absence from the Saudi’s itinerary, leading to concerns over where the two kingdoms stand with each other in terms of strategic bilateral ties. In the buildup to the 2026 World Cup bidding process in June, Saudi Arabia sparked uproar in Morocco. In addition to voting for the US-led North American bid, the Saudi kingdom rallied a number of Arab countries in smashing Morocco’s World Cup aspirations.
In the meantime, observers suggested that Riyadh’s anti-Moroccan sentiments at the time were meant to punish Rabat for failing to follow suit with other Arab countries in the latest Persian Gulf crisis that saw Saudi Arabia set up a blockade against Qatar.
MbS on Arab tour to push normalization with Israel
An Arab affairs analyst says an ongoing tour of Arab countries by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as MbS, is meant to normalize relations with Israel. Abdel Bari Atwan, the editor-in-chief of Rai al-Youm news and opinion website, said US President Donald Trump’s latest remarks suggest that through the trip, Riyadh is actually seeking to promote normal ties between Arab states and Tel Aviv, pressTV reported.
Source: Shafaqna
