Sarkozy: “I haven’t criticized Algeria… And my statement while in Tunisia was misinterpreted”

In an interview given to the French newspaper “Valeurs Actuelles” on Thursday, August 05, 2015, the former president of the French Republic, Nicolas Sarkozy, sought to mend his ways by expressing his utter astonishment about the bitter controversy triggered by his remarks on Algeria, made while he was on a visit to Tunisia on July 20.

According to the leader of the Republican Party, “his comments weren’t all that serious and nothing justified all this controversy” as he put it.

“Nothing in my comments was critical towards anyone, certainly not towards Algeria for which I have, as everyone knows, a deep friendship”, argued Nicolas Sarkozy.

Moreover, he said he wanted by these words, to convey a simple message saying that “the entire region leads a fight against terrorism, and it is our duty to help and to support this counter-terrorism struggle, adding that Tunisia couldn’t succeed on this track alone.”

Recalling that Sarkozy, had said while he was on a visit to Tunis that “the Tunisians had not chosen their geographic position between Algeria and Libya”.

These untoward remarks were then strongly denounced by various Algerian and Tunisian social networks as well as by the various components of civil society and the political class in Algeria.

At the official level, the state minister, minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Ramtane Lamamra responded, on 23 July, to Nicolas Sarkozy’s adverse statements on Algeria from Paris where he was on a visit.

Mr Lamamra duly reacted in a declaration to Algerian news outlets to the remarks made by the former French President; saying that the latter’s statement was “misplaced and unwelcome”.

“It is quite legitimate to ask, in this regard, the question if the colonial thought which history has completely disqualified, would not be attempting to regenerate itself through sterile exercises of manipulation of geography”, Mr Lamamra then pointed out.