Algeria Martyrs' flag will not be waved in the the Champs-Elysees courtyard
الشروق أونلاين
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President of the Republic Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Energy Minister Youcef Yousfi will represent Algeria tomorrow Monday in the celebrations of the French National Day of the outbreak of the First World War, in Paris, amid a large political controversy in Algeria and France between supporters and opponents to this participation.
According to a statement of Energy Ministry of Energy, Youcef Yousfi was commissioned to represent Algeria in the French celebrations, as confirmed by official sources at the National Defense Ministry which told Echorouk that the deputy Defense Minister, Chief of staff of the National People’s Army Maj.Gen. Guaid Saleh, would not take part in the celebrations tomorrow in spite of the official invitation by the French President Francois Hollande and the French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
Algeria’s participation in the French celebration is unique, as it comes amid considerable opposition by the parties in Algeria that is led many of the major political parties and organizations of the revolutionary family and Mujahideen Organization, while the red flag of the extreme right in France was waved.
Its leader Marine Le Pen described Algeria’s participation through the “official delegation” in the French centennial commemoration of the First World War as shocking, wondering about how to accept the participation of Algeria in the celebrations despite it insults France, and also justified its position with the files that were opened between France and Algeria, which are still pending like the files of Harkis and black feet, while French associations denounced the event.
In this context, “Le Figaro” quoted on Saturday’s edition the statements by the President of the French Association of African Nationals, Major General, Houcine Bars, and a local councilor in charge of the memory, Colonel Aziz Meliani, who affirmed that Algeria’s participation in the celebrations to immortalize the memory of the French National Day, which coincides with the Centenary Day of the outbreak of First World War; “Pride of France and Algeria is large in these festivities due to the historical ties between the two countries.”
“Jeune Afrique” magazine quoted the Minister of Ancient War Veterans and Harkis, Abdelkader Arif, as saying that “Algerian flag will not be flying in the Champs Elysee courtyard, where the national flag holders will only stand in the Concorde Yard in the heart of the capital, Paris.
“Jeune Afrique” French magazine said on Friday: “Will we see for the first time in the stormy history between the two countries, Algeria army infantry viewing the green, red and white flag alongside with French, Moroccans, Germans, Malagacy people and Senegalese ?” Highlighting the positions that opposed the Algerian presence, both by the extreme right in France or revolutionary organizations in Algeria.
