Dhe few trees in front of Sfax’s sand-colored city walls hardly offer any shade. Despite the scorching heat, there is a dense crowd outside the Bab Jebli, the gate that leads to the vegetable market in the medina.
Traders tow their heavily loaded carts through the hurrying shoppers, young men stroll through the crowd, form small groups, chat and just watch: the square in front of the old town is a large waiting room on the way to Europe – and an information exchange. They exchange telephone numbers and tips, chat, wait or make friends.
The two men who are appraising used mobile phones at a stand first met each other in the Tunisian port city on the Mediterranean Sea. Nadir is from Khartoum, Peter from Juba in South Sudan. “I had to get out of Khartoum. There has been no peace since the putsch two years ago. Heavy fighting broke out again in April,” says 22-year-old Nadir. It took him two months to travel via Chad and then through the Libyan desert, “I walked part of the way”.
Main thing away from Africa
Neither of them have had time to give much thought to where they are going once they have left the Mediterranean – the main thing is to get away from Africa. “First of all, we need a place to sleep and finally work,” says Peter. He is 17 years old and no longer believes that South Sudan, which has separated from the north, will become a real state. Sfax is a conflict barometer in Africa. It swings quickly and precisely. After the recent explosion of violence in Khartoum, which has since spread to Darfur, the two young men are meeting more and more Sudanese.
Between the bus station and the city gate, the united failed nations of Africa gather every day. Since the beginning of the year, more and more migrants and refugees from Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast have been pouring into Sfax. The second largest city in Tunisia has become the most important bridgehead to Europe. Italy is only 150 kilometers away: hundreds set out from the beaches east and west of the city every night.
According to the UN refugee agency UNHCR, more than 56,000 made it to Lampedusa, Pantelleria, Sicily and mainland Italy this year – the number has doubled compared to the same period last year. Almost 28,000 have already set sail from Tunisia this year, the rest from neighboring Libya. Last year most people on the boats were Tunisians, today more than 90 percent come from countries south of the Sahara, where crises, wars and the consequences of climate change ensure that their numbers will continue to increase in the future.
“I’ll try again and again”
The EU relies on little Tunisia. At their summit meeting on Thursday, the heads of state and government want to make the small North African country a generous offer that makes it clear how acute the situation is: a “comprehensive partnership pact” with a total value of 1.6 billion euros is to be given to the state on the edge of the economic persuade bankrupts to do more against irregular migration.
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