French expats in Tunis stand firm after museum attack

Sitting inside the Cathedral of St. Vincent de Paul on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, the tree-lined main street in Tunis, Sister Suzanne was unbowed and quietly resolute. "We have always lived in peace in Tunisia and it will not change," said the French Catholic nun who has lived in this relatively peaceful North African nation for more than 60 years.

Three days after gunmen stormed the Bardo museum in the heart of the Tunisian capital, killing one Tunisian and 20 foreign nationals – including three French citizens – a special Saturday Mass was being held at the cathedral in memory of the victims.

"Pray for Tunisia, our adopted land. Pray for those who committed these attacks, for their victims and for our community to be strengthened," said Bishop Ilario Antoniazzi, Archbishop of Tunis, his French laced with a thick Italian accent.

A spirit of unity and communion was palpable among the congregation, which included, in the first row, the Tunisian ministers of culture, health and tourism, along with French Ambassador François Gouyette and the families of the victims. Behind them, the pews were crammed with dozens of expatriates currently residing in Tunis. Catholic or not, they came to show their solidarity -- not just with the victims' families, but also with their adopted land.

Measured French response to security threat

Holding a white rose, Caroline, a Franco-Dutch woman who has lived in Tunis for 15 years, ignored her atheism to join the service. "I'm not religious but I wanted to support the families of the victims and show that we can continue to hold a full Mass in Tunis without fear," she said.

In any case, she said she had no plans to leave the country where she raised her three children. But Caroline did admit that following the attack, she would pay "perhaps a little more attention, especially at night. I do not go to some areas, such as the border regions or Mount Chaambi [a jihadist hotbed near the Algerian border],” she said.

These are areas the French foreign ministry has long recommended travelers avoid. Since the Bardo museum attack, the French embassy has advised citizens to "exercise the utmost vigilance and avoid large gatherings” – nothing more, nothing less. Nothing to panic the estimated 30,000 French citizens -- 66% of them dual French-Tunisian nationals -- living in Tunisia.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve -- who made a lightning visit to Tunis on March 20 to sign a security cooperation deal with Tunisia -- had a similar message when he addressed members of the expatriate community in the gardens of the French ambassador’s official residence in Tunis. "We must continue to live as we did before – and to visit Tunisia,” he said.

‘You did not leave France after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, so why should I leave?’

The official French message resonated with Stéphane Legrouët, a business consultant who moved to Tunisia three years ago with his wife and their three children. He moved for professional reasons but also for the love of the land where he spent his childhood.

"The Bardo…I was there the week before the attack to see a painting exhibition with my wife. It was part of our cultural routine, we would have been there on Wednesday [the day of the attack] with our children. But this is no reason for me to leave Tunisia. I feel as safe in Tunis as I do in Paris," he explained.

The Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris are a subject of frequent discussion in Tunisian expat circles – along with the other attacks in Madrid, London, Copenhagen and Marrakech. "There are attacks everywhere. You did not leave France after the Charlie Hebdo attacks, so why should I leave?" insists Legrouët.

"Tunisia has the disadvantage of being surrounded by unstable countries, such as Algeria, and even chaotic ones, like Libya. With an army of about 27,000 troops, it’s not huge, but I'm sure the government will respond to the threat," he continued confidently.

Concerns about the economic impact

The main concern among the expat community is the economic impact of the attacks on foreign investments. Two French expatriates on short-term contracts in Tunisia for instance refused to answer questions to avoid "sending a negative message to foreign partners."

Nicolas Roux, a trainee accountant living in Tunisia for the past six months, was optimistic: "This will not challenge the entrepreneurial spirit,” he insists before admitting, "a second attack would be more difficult for businesses to deal with."

Roux’s contract had just ended and he had to return to his home in the southern French city of Toulouse for his studies. But he said he plans to return to Tunis in a month's time and would consider settling here. “Tunisia’s nice, much less stressful than Paris. I have a comfortable home, friends. I go out in the evenings and stay out until 4am in working class neighbourhoods – in a suit – nothing has happened," says the 24-year-old Frenchman, his handsome young face breaking into a huge smile as he adds, “We will not stop living because of a single act. And also, the girls here are so pretty."