France inquires Sellal about Bouteflika's fourth term

French President François Hollande met on Thursday with the Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal, who traveled to Paris in order to participate in the works of the Elysee Summit on Peace and Security in Africa, which is the first of the kind since Hollande was elected President.

Elysee Summit replaced what was known as the France-Africa Summit in the era of former President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Echorouk sources said that the meeting between French President and Sellal was not programmed in Hollande’s weekly agenda, as it came in the last minute at the request of Algeria, after a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. 

During this meeting, Sellal transmitted a verbal message from President Bouteflika to his French counterpart focusing on Algeria’s position from the continuing operations of the French intervention in Africa and their impact on security and stability in the Sahel region, which Algeria considers as an extension to its national security.

Sellal renewed Algeria’s permanent positions in refusing the interference in the internal affairs of States, stressing at the same time that President Bouteflika is always keen to support development efforts in the African continent, to dry up the sources of violence and terrorism. 

The same sources added that President Hollande reassured the Algerian Prime Minister by saying that the coming French military operation in Central Africa will be linked to the restoration of security and stability in the country and will not depart from this framework.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal explained to the President Hollande the security challenges which Algeria is facing due to the continuing deterioration of security in Africa, and even if he expressed Algeria’s ability and willingness to protect its borders and interests, but he called on French President to find better formulas to resolve the African problems away the from foreign military intervention.

This meeting, which lasted more than an hour and a half, was an opportunity for the French president to inquire about the political reforms in Algeria, especially with closeness of the Presidential Election, and the possibility to nominate President Bouteflika for a new term, but Sellal confirmed, according to Echorouk sources, that Algeria is a country of institutions and live in a state of political stability, and President Bouteflika, like the rest of the Algerians has the right to run if he wants to, and in accordance with the laws in force in the country, then he assured the French president by asserting that Algeria is immune from any political or security risks that might threaten its stability.

Talks also dealt with a number of important issues, including the visit of the French Prime Minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, to Algeria on December 16, to chair the Algerian-French Joint Committee, and its importance in establishing a new culture of cooperation between the two countries.

Abdelmalek Sellal represented President Bouteflika at the Elysee Summit on Peace and Security in Africa, which includes two-pronged agenda, which examines the file of peace and security in Africa and discusses various African initiatives on this topic.