Algeria reacts to the summoning of its ambassador to Niamey by the transitional authorities in Niger regarding the issue of illegal migrants. The ambassador of the Republic of Niger in Algiers, Aminou Malam Manzo, was summoned in turn on Thursday, April 4, and announced a press release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made public this Saturday.
In a press release posted on social networks, the Nigerien authorities announced the summons on Tuesday, April 2 of Bekhadda Mehdi, Algerian ambassador to Niger.
According to the press release from the Nigerien Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Algerian diplomat was summoned to inform him of the Nigerien government’s protest against the intensification “in recent days” by the Algerian authorities of operations to push back irregular migrants to Nigerien territory. Serious accusations were made in the press release against the Algerian authorities.
The Algerian government was quick to react, considering that certain judgments of the Nigerien authorities were “unfounded”.
Aminou Malam Manzo, Niger’s ambassador to Algeria, was summoned Thursday to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was received by Ms. Selma Malika Haddadi, Director General Africa.
Algeria responds to Niger’s accusations on the issue of migrants
“This meeting focused mainly on cooperation between the two countries in terms of repatriation of Nigerien nationals staying irregularly on Algerian territory,” indicates the MAE press release. “This cooperation,” adds the same source, “has been the subject of certain judgments on the part of the Nigerien authorities that the Algerian side considers unfounded.”
During the meeting, the representative of Niger was reminded of “the existence of a bilateral framework dedicated to this problem”, a framework which “must remain the privileged place for discussion and processing of all data and all developments related to this issue,” indicating Algerian diplomacy.
Algeria expressed on the same occasion its attachment “to the essential rules of good neighborliness, and its desire to continue coordination with Niger on this question concerning migratory flows, and on any other question, in mutual respect and based on the values of cooperation, trust, and solidarity,” concludes the MAE press release.
Niger is led by transitional authorities resulting from the coup d’état of July 26 which removed elected president Mohamed Bazoum. Algeria has greatly contributed to avoiding the specter of war in this country by advocating for a peaceful return to constitutional order in the face of the threat of military intervention brandished by the ECOWAS countries (economic community of African States). from West).
Algeria proposed a mediation initiative, accepted by the Nigerien authorities at the end of September. But on October 23, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced suspending its engagement, demanding “clarifications” regarding “the implementation of Algerian mediation.”
