ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

After months of unprecedented tension between Algiers and Paris, high-level talks have resumed between the two capitals. Three days after a phone call between Presidents Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Emmanuel Macron, the foreign ministers of both countries, Jean-Noël Barrot and Ahmed Attaf, held discussions on April 3. This diplomatic sequence paves the way for a new phase of active negotiations, which could lead to a thaw in relations—provided that the major points of contention are addressed with due seriousness. A Revived Dialogue, Still Far from Normalization The March 31 conversation between Tebboune and Macron signaled a shared political will to renew dialogue after an eight-month diplomatic freeze triggered by disputes over historical memory, migration, and remarks deemed unacceptable by Algiers. That presidential call led to the drafting of a ten-point bilateral roadmap, intended to guide the relaunch of cooperation in sensitive areas such as security, migration, justice, economi...

In an official statement published on its Facebook page and website, Algeria’s Ministry of National Defense announced that it had shot down a Malian Akıncı drone over Tinzawatin, after it breached Algerian airspace by two kilometers. This marks the first time that the Algerian Air Force has downed a foreign drone, sending a clear and decisive message to nations that have been misusing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) near Algeria’s borders. A Swift and Controlled Response The detection and interception of the drone were carried out by a unit under the Air Defense Forces Command (ADFC) , demonstrating Algeria’s high level of preparedness and rapid response capabilities in safeguarding its airspace. While the ministry did not disclose the exact method used to neutralize the drone, analysts suggest that Algeria likely employed its advanced air defense systems , which are capable of effectively countering such aerial threats. The Growing Presence of Drones in the Sahel and North Africa ...

On August 23, 1957, a confidential CIA document was drafted, revealing crucial insights into French policy toward Algeria, then in the midst of its war of independence. Recently declassified, this document sheds new light on France’s intentions regarding the oil-rich Saharan regions and its post-independence strategies. Through diplomatic, economic, and geopolitical maneuvers, Paris sought to maintain its grip on this strategically vital territory. An Indispensable Algerian Sahara for France According to the document, France regarded the Algerian Sahara as a region of paramount importance—not only for its oil and gas resources but also for its strategic position in North Africa. With this in mind, Paris was determined to secure its control over the area at all costs, administratively detaching it from the rest of Algeria. This policy materialized in 1957 with the creation of two separate Saharan departments—an initiative designed to ensure that even in the event of Algerian independenc...