French warplanes head to Mali through the Moroccan airspace not the Algerian one

Satellite photos monitoring the itineraries followed by the French war jets heading for Mali to carry out strikes against terrorist targets in the Northern parts of this country reveal that these later fly over the Moroccan airspaces instead of the Algerian ones.

The magazine “ Jeune Afrique” posted photos displayed during a presentation made by the French defence minister Jean Yves Le Drian to journalists from the operation room of the air defence command, showing the French “ Raffale” planes take off from Saint Dizier airbase heading for the Chadian capital city Ndjamena passing through the Moroccan airspace and not the Algerian territory.

This clarification comes in total contradiction with prior declarations made by the French foreign Affairs minister Laurent Fabius who surprised the Algerian public opinion when he asserted that the Algerian authorities have opened their airspace for the French warplanes heading for Mali as part of the military operation carried out against the terrorists there.

The move has stirred controversy among the Algerian citizens and the political sphere alike considering it as “complicity with a former colonial force”.

To recall, a decree issued in August 2010 stipulates that foreigners have to apply for the permission to fly over the Algerian territories 21 days before the D- day, but the French authorities didn’t do it.

However, the French president and his foreign affairs minister have declared that the Algerian authorities have opened their airspace with their own volition.