Have Algerian-French Relations Reached Zero Point?
The telegram circulated by the official Algerian news agency (APS) from Thursday night to Friday, July 27, 2023, was nothing but a message containing sharp criticism from the Algerian authorities of their French counterpart, and it reflects the reality of the level of relations between the two countries in recent months.
The telegram revolves around how the news of the recent fires that swept Algerian cities was dealt with by the “France 24” channel, affiliated with the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which was the subject of harsh criticism by the Algerian News Agency, which expresses the official line of the Algerian state, but its response was much professional than the French channel’s, according to the cable.
APS addressed the French state and did not address the channel, as stated in the introduction to the telegram: Official France attacked social networks accusing them of fanning hatred after the death of Nahël, by declaring through the spokesman of the government that it was necessary to “cut” in the time of crisis, must first put its own house in order”.
Unlike previous cases in which the Paris authorities resorted to arguing that the media outlet that offended Algeria was private and governed by considerations of freedom of expression, the accused party today is a public institution represented by “France 24”, affiliated to the “France Media Monde” group that supervises France’s foreign audiovisual media and the public channel TV5 continue to spew their poison on Algeria”.
“At a time when most of the Mediterranean regions are burning, being devoured by the flames in an unprecedented manner, leaving human losses in Greece, Italy, Corsica, Spain and Algeria, the vulgar and disgraceful “France 24” channel found nothing but targeting Algeria, as usual, and without the slightest respect for the lives of the victims, as if the fires affected only Algeria, although many countries in the Mediterranean basin are burning due to record temperatures exceeding 50 degrees Celsius”, APS added.
“In Corsica, France, Spain and Algeria, the scenes are many and repeated: hectares of burning forests destroyed by the flames, leaving many victims. However, France 24, by targeting Algeria, did not respect the basic rules of professional ethics by completely violating media rules and regulations”, it explains.
The interesting thing about the case is that the Algerian authorities have become convinced that the French public media has become at the disposal of the terrorist “MAK” movement, according to what was stated in the telegram: “Gentlemen working for the “France 24” scum, which receives “orders regarding Algeria” from a close associate of the Elysee Palace known for its sure “connection” with the terrorist “MAK” organization, they must be a little objective in these difficult and painful times. The fierce fires that ravaged Algeria were the result of the extreme temperatures and high winds that led to the rapid spread of the flames. The channel of evil, chaos and manipulation should stop its exposed lies about Algeria, which spared no effort and harnessed all material and human means to put out the fires”.
“Despite the unfavourable weather conditions for the aerial intervention of firefighting aircraft on the first day, all the hotspots of fire were controlled within 48 hours, which unfortunately did not happen in some European countries located on the Mediterranean Sea, where firefighters have been fighting for ten days. The Algerian state, which learned the lesson from the fires in 2021, harnessed all means, as a 12,000-liter capacity plane, 6 forest firefighting planes, and 9 helicopters were recruited to combat these fires, knowing that these means are possessed only by Algeria in the region, not to mention the speed taking care of the victims and launching relief operations in record time”, APS added.
In the eyes of the Algerian authorities, its French counterpart is completely immersed in “the malicious game that is planned and manufactured by the terrorist movement (MAK) and terrorist organizations that strive to take possession of a region from which it was expelled by its inhabitants who categorically rejected it, a game that “serve satanic goals that have nothing to do with any humanitarian work: “Of course, France 24 will never address these details since it decided to ignore everything, including the other 17 areas affected by the fires. Rather, it prefers to mention only two states in service of the malicious game that is planned and manufactured by the terrorist movement “MAC” and its protectors and terrorist organizations which are striving to take over an area from which it was expelled by its inhabitants, who categorically reject them. This particular focus on a specific area serves satanic goals that have nothing to do with any humanitarian action. The neo-colonial advocates and protectors of the MAK terrorist movement, who operate in the French state channel, decided long ago to pretend to be blind and deaf to a rising Algeria. The shameful handling of the file of fires in Algeria confirms the decision of the Algerian authorities to close the offices of this channel, which does not seem to be returning soon to Algeria.
This incident adds a new crisis to other crises afflicting Algerian-French relations, which, as is well known, led to the cancellation of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit, which was scheduled for last month to France, and a change of direction towards traditional allies, Russia and China, and new allies such as Turkey and Qatar.
What is interesting about the new crisis is that the Algerian side, which has been accustomed throughout previous crises, to avoid a clash with the Elysee Palace, and blame it on circles in the deep state of France, such as special interests and some diplomatic parties, as in the case of smuggling an Algerian national wanted for justice across the Tunisian border last February. Today, the goal has become the French presidency, without equivocation or turning around.
The telegram attacked the foreign policy of the French presidency: “What are the French external audiovisual officials waiting for to draw lessons and understand the significance of the rejection of this channel by many African countries? If France no longer has a place in Africa, where it has become unwanted, then the blame lies with its media group, “France Médias Monde,” which spreads hatred and incites chaos”.
“Africans who aspire to a better tomorrow no longer want another media that is an extension of the policy of the French presidency, as was the case in the past with Radio “A Thousand Hills” RTLM in Rwanda, which is the example that the neo-colonial puppeteers follow in “France 24”, which targets one region of the country, knowing that one of the puppeteers holds a sublime job as a French ambassador and ministerial delegate in charge of the Mediterranean basin, and one of his relatives is considered “specialized” in defaming Algeria”, APS confirmed.
This means that confidence has been completely lost in the head of power in France, Emmanuel Macron, which is a dangerous indicator of the future of bilateral relations, which have entered a dark tunnel, from which it may be difficult to get out unless the French side looks into the mirror and solves the problems that poison these relations. It is the issue of the colonial past, which is full of crimes against humanity, and Paris refuses to rule on the spirit of reason and logic to rebuild bilateral relations on solid ground.
