Finally, France Admits it Does Not Provide Development Aid to Algeria

Another card in France’s political bargaining with Algeria has fallen: development aid. Many politicians and media figures in Paris have used this as a lucrative tool to mislead public opinion, in an attempt to mobilise it amid the escalating political and diplomatic crisis between the two capitals, which is approaching its first year.

In this regard, Rémy Rioux, Director General of the French Development Agency (AFD), ended the controversy sparked by statements made by several French officials regarding “alleged” aid to the Algerian state within the framework of bilateral cooperation. This statement came too late, after the issue had reached the French judicial authorities and sparked a protracted, false political controversy.

Rioux also refuted the recurring rhetoric of certain members of the French far right about France’s alleged annual aid to Algeria, statements recently relayed by MP Sarah Knafo, and which Algeria has officially denied, going so far as to initiate legal action.

Rémy Rioux finally admitted in a program broadcast on the French public parliamentary channel LCP with frankness and clarity that debunked these allegations during his appearance two days ago, declaring that the agency he heads “does not finance any projects in Algeria.”

He clarified that the only existing support is limited to scholarships awarded to Algerian students pursuing their studies in France, thus exposing the instrumentalisation of this issue by the extreme right in its hostile discourse towards Algeria.

“We do not provide funding. What is announced as aid relates only to scholarships provided to Algerian students in France and is not the responsibility of the French Development Agency,” he explained.

This statement raises several questions about its timing and why this official did not break his silence when the debate was spurious and clarify the situation.

He added unambiguously that the AFD “does not carry out any activity in Algeria and does not provide any direct financing,” stressing that “Algeria does not borrow from us and does not ask for money,” unlike Morocco, with which, according to him, the agency “has been collaborating closely recently”, as Paris’s strong partner referring to the period following the recent French position on the Western Sahara issue.

According to sources familiar with the matter, the aid the French were discussing was directed exclusively to certain private Algerian schools, to strengthen the status of French in Algeria. The condition was that various subjects be taught in French, a measure that violates the laws of the Ministry of Education. However, this was subject to strict instructions from the relevant ministry requiring teaching in a Western language. The ministry also issued a decision prohibiting private schools from receiving any financial aid from France, after the issue of bogus aid was raised.

Last February, a false debate erupted regarding French aid to Algeria. Extremist European MP Sarah Knafo, elected from the far-right “Reconquest Party” led by Éric Zemmour, claimed that Algeria would receive 800 million euros each year, while refusing to repatriate its illegal immigrants, a claim that Algerian authorities considered unfounded.

The French embassy in Algeria soon issued inaccurate clarifications. It indicated that the amount of French development aid granted to Algeria in 2022 was 132 million euros, the largest share of which went to scholarships for Algerian students in France, subject to conditions that did not necessarily adhere to clear and precise criteria.

This issue sparked official Algerian astonishment at the time, expressed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who addressed the French in a press statement without naming them: “…There are those who say we give them aid and money. Algeria needs only God Almighty and its children. We embrace and love our friends, and whoever wants to antagonise us, that’s their business.”

The Algerian Press Service also weighed in, denying the existence of French aid to Algeria and accusing the French far-right of being behind this fake news. The agency wrote: “European Commission statistics for 2022 indicate that the total value of this aid does not exceed 130 million euros. It confirmed that 80% of this money did not even leave French territory, being paid directly to support its educational institutions that receive Algerian students, under its economic priorities. The remaining 20% financed programs aimed at promoting the French language, culture and economic interest in Algeria.”

The agency also mocked French politicians who adopted this rhetoric: “If this aid exists, Algeria would gladly give it up.”