Clashes Between Tunisian and French Forces in Remada Area

Keesing's Record of World Events (formerly Keesing's Contemporary Archives), Volume XI, August, 1958 France, Tunisia, Tunisian, French, Page 16328 © 1931-2006 Keesing's Worldwide, LLC - All Rights Reserved. Clashes between Tunisian and French forces in Remada Area - Tunisian and French Complaints to Security Council.—Agreement on Evacuation of French Forces outside Bizerta.

After a period of relative quiescence since the Sakhiet incident, a new series of clashes between Tunisian forces and the French forces stationed in Tunisia took place during the second half of May, following the military coup in Algiers,. All the incidents occurred in the Remnda area in southern Tunisian, where the French garrison had been restricted to its base since the Tunisian government's ban on French troop movements following the raid on Sakhiet.

On May 18 French troops form Remada forcibly occupied a road-block newly created. by the Tunisians in the desert some 25 miles to the north of Remada, and set up another one in the same ocean. The Tunisland in turn, sent a strong force of troops and armed civilians to protect the area, but no clash occurred until May 24—25 when there was prolouged heavy firing after the French forces had refused a Tunbdan demand to evacuate the airfield outside Remada. Five French soldiers were killed and four injured by heavy Tunislan mortar-fire, and at the request of the French garrison, French aircraft- alleged by the Tunisian Government to have come from Algeria-intervened on the fighting and attacked Tunisian positions.

In consequence of the clash of May 24—25, the state of emergency-hitherto confined to the frontier areas-was extended by the Tunisian Government to cover the whole country. President Bourguiba announced on May 26 that Tunisia would renew her complaint against France in the Security Council, adding that Tunisia had asked the United States for arms; the Foreign Office in London stated on May 27 that the British Government had received a similar request from the Tunisian Government.

M. Mongi Slim (Tunisian Ambassador in Washington and permanent representative at the U.N.) submitted on May 29 a formal complaint of “acts of armed aggression committed by the French forces stationed, in Tunisian territory and in Algeria, “together with a request for a speedy meeting of the Security Council. The French Government immediately lodged a counter- complaint reiterating its former allegation that Tunisia was assisting the Algerian insurgents, and accusing Tunisia of violating “the modus vivendi established since February with regard to the stationing of French troops at certain points in Tunisian territory.”

Both complaints were heard by the Security Council on June 2, when M. Mongi Slim and M. Georges- Picot (France) made statements on behalf of their respective Governments—the former alleging that the French forces in Tunisia had been guilty of almost daily acts of an “aggressive character” since mid-May, and the latter maintaining that Tunisia was guilty of “aggression” through her continues support for the Algerian insurgents. Following the cordial messages exchanged between General de Gaulle and President Bourguiba on June 2, however (see 16304 C), M. Georges-Picot proposed on June 4 that the Security Council should adjourn its discussions for about a fortnight to permit of direct negotiations between France and Tunisia. On the Proposal of M. Slim, the Security Council Accordingly adjourned to June 18.

As a result of discussions between M. Bernard (the French Charge d' Affairs in Tunis) and Tunisian Ministers, an agreement on the evacuation of the French forces was concluded on June 17. It provided that the 7,000 troops stationed outside Bizerta would be withdrawn within the next four months and that negotiations for a provisional agreement on the status of the Bizerta base, over which Tunisian sovereignty would be-recognized, should begin not later than Oct. 1. The Tunisian Government undertook to remove all restrictions on the movements of the French troops. When the Security Council met on June 18, M. de Vaucclles (France) reported that full diplomatic relations would be resumed as a result of the agreement, and that France and Tunisia would have an opportunity to reach agreement on all outstanding problems.

In accordance with the agreement of June 17 the first French troops left Remada on July 5 for Sfax, where they embarked for Algiers. The remainder of the Remada garrison left on July 10.

Following the agreement of June 17, M Gorse (the French Ambassador) returned to Tunis on June 22 after an absence of over five months; it was stated in Paris that he would immediately resume negotiations with the Tunisian Government on all question outstanding between the two countries. (Le Monde-U.N. Information Centre, London) (16203 A.)

Note. The number of fatal casualties in the Sakhiet raid, at first variously reported as 89 and 75, was given by M. Mongi Slim in his memorandum to the Security Council as 79.