The visit to Emmanuel Macron’s Algeria gave rise to an unprecedented meeting at the highest peak of military officials and intelligence in the two countries. The French president notably implicated “Russian imperialism” in the region.
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This is what Emmanuel Macron calls the “great Sahelian file”. Friday, August 26, at the end of the afternoon, the French head of state almost welcomed the traditional presidential speech before the members of the French community gathered at the residence of the embassy of France in Algiers. The reason: “discussions in an unprecedented setting since 1962”, which he had, earlier in the day, with the highest Algerian authorities, the president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, and the army chiefs. A first, long hoped for by Paris.
“We found ourselves with our ministers of the armies, chiefs of staff of the armies and major directors [of intelligence] with a desire to advance on the existential, strategic and security issues which were like a blind spot until ‘So in our relationship. “Understanding the regional situation – above all in the Sahel – and, above all, the emergence of what the French head of state calls” Russian imperialism “in the region.
“Algeria has a completely key role in the Sahel, geographically and politically”, he already recalled by leaving the European cemetery of Saint-Eugène, which he had surveyed in the morning, while defending the record From France in Mali, from where the French army has completed its withdrawal this summer. “Our desire is to strengthen the partnership with Algeria, to be able to work together, both on a political and diplomatic level, he continued, but also to pass the right messages and prevent mercenaries be able to flower in The region, in particular the Wagner group. “
” Show pedagogy “
This group, false nose of the Russian President’s military interventionism, Vladimir Putin, is accused by Paris of serving its own “economic interests” and of “securing the junta” in power in Bamako. Algiers, close to the Malian authorities and historically linked to Russia, ensures, for its part, wanting to favor a political solution and claims a neutrality, at least in front, faithful to its principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of a country third parties.
“Current Algerian neutrality is a comfort. But we have to show pedagogy and explain to them that it is not just a problem of Europeans, this concerns the whole region, affirms a French diplomatic source. What are The motivations of the Russians? President Emmanuel Macron was very clear with the African countries on the problem of Russian imperialism. I think that the Algerians are aware of it. We must congratulate them and encourage them to adopt an attitude of less caution. “
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