Algeria returned to France his ambassador Salah Lebdioui, in office since November 2009, recalled at the end of may after the broadcast of documentaries on the French popular movement antirégime ” hirak “, indicating the return to normal relations often turbulent between the two countries. Salah Lebdioui “resumed from yesterday (Monday),” said to AFP the embassy of Algeria in Paris, confirming news reports of the algerian.
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Blurs transient
This latest diplomatic odds came to an end after the French president Emmanuel Macron had called on June 2, his counterpart algerian Abdelmadjid Tebboune. The two heads of State pledged to ” work towards a relationship serene and an ambitious revitalisation of the bilateral cooperation “.
The algerian diplomat had been recalled by the algerian authorities in anger for consultations on may 27 after the broadcast of two documentaries on the hirak, Algeria, my love, on France 5, and Algeria, the revolution until the end ? on the chain LCP. And this, in a climate of distrust standing of the algerian authorities against the media, including foreign.
The algerian ministry of foreign Affairs criticized the two documentaries of violating the ” algerian people and its institutions “, including the army.
He saw it as an act of “malice” of ” certain circles that do not want to the advent of more pacific relations between Algeria and France “, 58 years after the independence of the former French colony. Algeria figure to the 146th (out of 180) in the world ranking of press freedom 2020 drawn up by Reporters without borders (RSF). She tumbled 27 places compared to 2015 (119th).
This episode is inscribed in a climate of repression against political opponents, journalists (some in prison), and independent media.
Determined to prevent any resurgence of the ” hirak “, the authorities have blocked these last few weeks, many news sites accused of being funded by ” foreign organizations “.
No accreditation is mandatory for work, has been renewed in 2020 for the permanent correspondents of foreign media in Algiers.
The accreditation by the director of the office of the AFP in Algiers, Aymeric Vincenot, had not been renewed in 2019, which had forced to leave Algeria.
This is only the second time in the history of diplomacy in franco-algerian, an Algerian ambassador in France was recalled to Algiers since independence in 1962.
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Speech antifrançais
During a meeting with media algerians on Friday, the president Tebboune, has assured to have “no problem” with his French counterpart, pointing out that he had posted positions, “which honor” on the question of memory and ” the crimes of French colonialism “.
This controversy has shown once again the volatile nature of bilateral relations.
at the Beginning of April, the ambassador of France in Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, had already been summoned to the foreign Affairs after remarks on the international channel France 24 about the medical aid from china, which were highly displeasing to Algiers. The ambassador reiterated the independence of the organs of the press in France.
Paris strives not to put oil on the fire while the speech antifrançais remains a powerful factor of legitimacy in the eyes of the algerian authorities.
France is well guarded from any criticism after a series of arrests of activists of the ” hirak “. With its thousands of kilometres of borders with Mali, Niger and Libya, Algeria is a key player in the fight against jihadism in the Sahel, where France is involved militarily.
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