Sixteen countries have voiced concern after drone attacks on two ships near Tunisia
Foreign ministers from South Africa and 15 other nations issued a joint statement on Tuesday voicing concern for the safety of the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF), a civilian maritime humanitarian initiative for Gaza.
The appeal follows reports of drone attacks last week on the flotilla’s ships near Tunisia.
Pretoria was joined by the governments of Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Ireland, Libya, Malaysia, the Maldives, Mexico, Pakistan, Qatar, Oman, Slovenia, Spain, and Türkiye to warn of “accountability” for any violations of GSF participants’ rights – including attacks in international waters or unlawful detention.
In the statement, released via South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO), the group urged all parties to refrain from “any unlawful or violent act” against the flotilla and called for full respect for international legal norms.
The DIRCO noted the GSF’s objectives of promoting peace and delivering humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, which is being besieged by Israel.
On September 10, Tunisia’s Interior Ministry said that the vessel Alma, which sails under a British flag and is part of the GSF, had been targeted in a premeditated drone strike while docked in the port of Sidi Bou Said. The ministry described the incident as a “prepared attack.”
The incident followed an attack near the same port just a day earlier involving the Family, another flotilla vessel sailing under the Portuguese flag. Tunisia was one of the flotilla’s scheduled stops before the fleet was set to proceed toward Gaza.
On Monday, the GSF announced on X that the flotilla had set sail from Italy, Tunisia, and Greece to unite in international waters. The following day, the group stated on Telegram that more than 25 boats had departed from Tunisia, including the Family and Alma.
According to its official website, the GSF is a nonviolent maritime effort to challenge what it describes as the illegal Israeli siege on Gaza. The initiative, representing more than 40 countries, was launched in July by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, Global Movement to Gaza, Maghreb Sumud Flotilla, and others.
