French President Francois Hollande strongly condemned the killing of Tunisian opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi on Thursday and called on the country to unite behind its democratic transition.

"The president condemns in the strongest terms the assassination this morning in Tunis of lawmaker Mohamed Brahmi," Hollande said in a statement.

Hollande urged "all political and social forces in Tunisia to demonstrate more than ever the spirit of responsibility needed to preserve national unity and to guarantee the continuation of the democratic transition."

He called for "light to be shed as quickly as possible on this murder" and on the February 6 killing of another opposition figure, Chokri Belaid.

Brahmi, a leading opposition figure and critic of Tunisia's ruling Islamists, was shot dead by unknown gunmen outside his home near the capital on Thursday.

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