Marie sensed the situation might turn ugly as she was confronted by four armed officers. Despite her travel through the Sahara for weeks, she feared not making it to the coast of Africa. An assault ensued in broad daylight, and she was not the only victim—many sub-Saharan migrants face dire threats from Tunisia's security forces, enduring sexual violence and brutality that goes largely unchecked.
Yasmine, who founded a healthcare organization in Sfax, reported that hundreds of sub-Saharan migrant women have been raped by Tunisian security forces in the last 18 months. "We've had so many cases of violent rape and torture by the police," she explains, highlighting the alarming rise in violence against women in the region amidst police impunity.
Marie recalled her harrowing experience during an attempted assault, stating, "It was clear they were going to rape me... My screams saved me, alerting a group of passing Sudanese refugees." Her courageous act reveals not only the individual terror experienced but also the collective danger that many migrants face as a result of serious abuses from national guard officials.
Conditions for migrants like Marie are dire, living in makeshift camps in olive groves with extremely limited access to humanitarian aid. Experts suggest that tens of thousands are encircled by police as they navigate the risk of violence, underscoring the pressing need for international support and the desperate situation sub-Saharan migrants face on their journey to safety.
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