Ramtane Lamamra, head of Algerian diplomacy, is delighted this Wednesday with the latest “satisfactory” statements from Elysee.
The head of Algerian diplomacy welcomed, Wednesday, November 10, the statements of the Elysee showing “respect” to his country in the midst of a diplomatic crisis, and announced that Algiers would participate in a conference on Libya in Paris on Friday. According to the Élysée Palace on Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron “regrets the controversies and misunderstandings” with Algeria and ensures that he has “the greatest respect for the Algerian nation” and “its history”.
Emmanuel Macron had sparked the anger of Algiers after comments, reported on October 2 by the daily Le Monde, accusing the Algerian “politico-military” system of maintaining a “memorial rent” by serving his people an “official history” which “is not based on truths”. According to the daily, he questioned the existence of an Algerian nation before French colonization.
“Algeria will take part in the international conference” on Libya
“Contrary to the statements at the origin of the crisis, these (made Wednesday by the Elysee) are reasonable and include ideas showing respect for Algeria, its history, it’s past, its present and also for sovereignty Algerian,” said Ramtane Lamamra. He further announced that “Algeria will take part in the international conference” on Libya, “but not at the level of the President of the Republic”, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
“The conditions are not met for him to participate personally in this conference, despite his attachment to the active role of Algeria alongside the Libyan brothers as well as to the expected peaceful and democratic settlement of the Libyan question”, added the minister after a meeting in Algiers of heads of Algerian diplomatic and consular missions.
Tebboune warned that he would not take “the first step” to try to ease tensions
On October 3, Algeria recalled its ambassador to France in protest at the statements reported by Le Monde and banned the overflight of its territory to French military planes serving the Sahel where the troops of the anti-jihadist operation Barkhane are deployed. “President Macron has the greatest respect for the Algerian nation, for its history, and for the sovereignty of Algeria,” said the Elysee on Tuesday. And he wants the bilateral relationship to develop “for the benefit of the Algerian and French populations but also to respond to major regional challenges, starting with Libya”.
According to Elysee, Abdelmadjid Tebboune was invited to the conference aimed at helping Libya emerge from the crisis by preparing for the presidential election scheduled for December 24. According to Algerian media, Ramtane Lamamra will represent Algeria at this conference. This would be the first trip to Paris for an Algerian official of this rank since the ambassador’s recall to Paris.
Abdelmadjid Tebboune warned on Saturday that he would not take “the first step” to try to calm tensions with his French counterpart who, with his words, “has reopened an old conflict in a completely unnecessary way”. “Why did he say that?” I think it was for strategic electoral reasons,” added Mr. Tebboune in an interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel.
