Summary:

On 13-15 December, the United States hosted the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington DC. Tunisian President Kais Saied was in attendance, making multiple appearances, including with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the international press. Saied largely deflected concerns about Tunisia’s democratic future, pointing to endemic corruption as the cause for his ongoing reform program.

Outlook:  

One of the main drivers of the US Summit on Africa was an effort to counter Russian and Chinese influence on the continent with promises of partnership, investment, and cooperation. In Saied’s case, there appears to have been little warming in the overall relationship as the Tunisian President resisted pressure to address, let alone alleviate, concerns from his Western critics about Tunisia’s democratic future. With the overall reduction of military and economic aid from the US and these relatively cold interactions in Washington, the American relationship with Tunisia appears to be growing distant for the time being. We will continue to watch how the relationship evolves following Tunisia’s election and as the country seeks to resolve its financial crisis in 2023, potentially by courting partners who are less critical of the country’s political trajectory.