“No one can speak on behalf of Algerian people to conclude reconciliation with Egypt without apology,” poll finds

The Algerian people rejected the reconciliation between the president of the Algerian Football federation (FAF) Mohamed Raouraoua and his Egyptian counterpart Samir Zaher, a poll finds.

• The poll showed that Algerian people were not satisfied about the reconciliation. They require apology for insulting their martyrs as a precondition before any talks about reconciliation.
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• Disappointment, anger and some say it is a “deal”
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• Hicham, 25, believes that Zaher was the mastermind of the stone attack on the Algerian team. “He committed many other mistakes against our people.
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• He blames Raouraoua for following Zaher who “managed to make him accepting reconciliation with the Egyptians before they apologise for insulting our martyrs.”
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• Rabeh, a 60-year-old taxi driver and a martyr’s brother believes that there is a personal interest behind the reconciliation. “It is a deal at the expense of the Algerians’ dignity. A man sitting in the car said apology is required and the problem will be solved. “We can turn a blind eye on their attack on the national team but will not accept anything except apology for insulting our martyrs,” he said.
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• “Have we lost our dignity and personality?” wondered Mourad who believes that the reconciliation would incite other people and countries to not respect Algeria anymore.
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• Algerians should have been consulted
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• A large number of persons unanimously said Raouraoua could not speak in their names in dealing with such a serious issue.
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• “Raouraoua and the officials who allowed him to go to Qatar should have consulted the Algerians first. The issue is not related to officials only. It is the question of the Algerian people’s dignity,” said Nassima.
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• Djalil, a teacher in a high school said he does not accept any reconciliation. “The issue is clear. It is a story about personal interests at our expenses. Egyptians did not apologise and I don’t think that they will do so one day,” he told Echorouk.
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• “Raouraoua does not represent anyone expect himself. I defy him if he will convince the Algerians about what he did,” he added.
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• A number of persons went back to the events chronology. They started talking about the bus attack and the non-recognition of that before talking about accusing the Algerians of attacking Egyptian supporters in Sudan. They also mentioned the insulting campaign against Algeria’s people and symbols. All those events made the reconciliation bound to fail.
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• Martyrs were humiliated twice
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• “I don’t accept this reconciliation. Martyrs were humiliated twice. Once when Egyptians insulted them on their official channels and said the country of one million old shoes. The second time was when Raouraoua shook hands with Zaher. The second humiliation is sharper than the first one,” said Hamid.
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• Oussama suggests to Zaher a special reconciliation. He suggests organizing the reconciliation in a public place in an Algerian city. “I suggest to Zaher to come there to meet with the Algerian people.
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• Except Zaher  
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• Many people unanimously said they are not against reconciliation but they require Egyptian apology. They said they are against Zaher.
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• Abderrahmane accuses Zaher of being the mastermind of the bus attack.
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• Saleh believes that Zaher is a “malicious fox who lied on the FAF and its president.