The Foreign Affairs ministry has drawn up a contingency plan to evacuate Maltese nationals from Tunisia if the situation in the north African country deteriorates further.
Around 120 people of Maltese descent, including holidaymakers, are currently in Tunisia, Malta’s Ambassador to Tunis Vicky-Ann Cremona said yesterday.
Ms Cremona feared the situation in Tunis was not going to calm down easily, amid continuing unrest following the forced resignation of the country’s president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, on Friday.
A house belonging to one of the president’s relatives, some 10 doors up the road from the Maltese ambassador’s own residence, was set on fire.
Venturing out for a walk yesterday, Ms Cremona noticed the area had been violently attacked.
Armoured tanks were placed all over La Marsa, close to Tunis, as rioters targeted buildings which belonged to the former president’s family, the ambassador said.
Tunisian unrest could have political ramifications in the Arab world
“When news spread that former president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was on his way to Malta, we feared people might attack the embassy,” Ms Cremona said.
Maltese businessmen, meanwhile, were afraid that protesters would attack their factories, she added.
The Maltese Foreign Ministry issued a travel warning urging people visiting Tunisia, a popular destination with Maltese, to exercise caution.
“Maltese nationals should steer away from large gatherings and demonstrations and exercise caution. They should also obey orders by the local police,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding that in case of emergency, travellers should contact the Maltese embassy.
The political ramifications of the unrest are both local and regional.
A critical question raised by the events is whether they will lead to changes not just in the Arab world but also in European policies and attitudes, anthropologist Ranier Fsadni said.
If a stabilising resolution is not reached soon, Tunisia’s economy would be badly affected, Mr Fsadni said.
“Continuing instability will damage the tourist industry and stop the recent flow of European investment, premised on Tunisia’s stability. Such economic damage would exacerbate some of the conditions that led to this uprising,” Mr Fsadni said.
“The heads of the army and security forces played an important role in forcing out President Ben Ali, and an army-controlled government is possible.
“If general elections are held within the 60-day period stipulated by the Constitution, the conditions would disadvantage the largely disorganised and underfunded opposition groups.
“Although it currently seems remote, an eventual Islamist regime cannot be excluded,” Mr Fsadni said.
Alternattiva Demokratika urged the government to put pressure on the Tunisian authorities to stop the bloodshed.