the Algerian president’s charge against France

The tension between Paris and Algiers is still not falling. Ten days after Emmanuel Macron’s remarks accusing the Algerian “politico-military” system of maintaining a “memorial rent” by serving his people an “official history” which “is not based on truths”, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune replied. Stressing to the address of his French counterpart that “history cannot be falsified”, he assured the national media that Algiers was “attacked in [sa] flesh in [ses] martyrs”.

“History cannot be falsified”

Abdelmadjid Tebboune also conditioned the return of the Algerian ambassador to Paris. Recalled immediately after Emmanuel Macron’s remarks on the “memorial rent”, the latter will return when France has “total respect for the Algerian state”. “Relations with France are the responsibility of the people and of history. History cannot be falsified,” he continued, in remarks deemed rather dry by observers. “The state is standing with all its pillars, with its power, the might of its army and its valiant people,” said the man who is also the supreme chief of the armed forces and minister of defense.

For “the rest, it is their internal affairs”, he continued in an allusion to possible “electoral” aims of the critical remarks of Emmanuel Macron. “France must forget that Algeria was once a French colony”.

Coming back to the blow of the plane in the visas granted to Algiers by Paris, pronounced at the end of September, Abdelmadjid Tebboune addressed a spade to Gérard Darminin, Minister of the Interior. “Moussa Darmanin has built a big lie”, accused Abdelmadjid Tebboune, addressed to the French Minister of the Interior, of whom Moussa is the middle name given in homage to his grandfather, an Algerian rifleman of the Second World War. “There never were 7,000 [clandestins algériens, ndlr], that is completely wrong. “

The war of numbers over illegal immigrants

“The list [des clandestins, ndlr] which reached us in 2020 and the three lists in 2021 counted 94 cases among which 21 were accepted and 16 others rejected “, assured the Algerian president.” They will not return (to Algeria) because they are linked to terrorism. They came from Syria (…) There are binationals who have no family here. “

An attack which quickly found an answer, since a few hours later the minister’s entourage explained that “the list [des 94 Algériens, ndlr] to which President Tebboune refers to the ultra-priority profiles, those on file for radicalization and that we consider to be the most dangerous, that we want to send back as quickly as possible. ”For Gérard Darmanin’s entourage, there was indeed 7,730 obligations to leave French territory (OQTF) which have been pronounced since January against Algerian nationals.