ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

For decades, Algerian foreign policy was built on a solid foundation: respect for state sovereignty, non-interference, rejection of foreign military interventions, and the pursuit of political solutions to conflicts. These principles have shaped Algeria's diplomatic identity since independence and have given it a distinctive credibility on the international stage. Yet the current period marks a historic turning point. The international system that emerged after the Cold War is undergoing profound transformation. Multilateral institutions are weakening, international law is increasingly challenged by power politics, and regional powers are asserting their interests without always adhering to the principles they publicly champion. In such an environment, a fundamental question arises in Algiers: How can a nation defend its principles when its adversaries respect none of them? Today, Algeria appears to be offering a pragmatic answer: preserve its principles, but no longer sacrifice it...

The narrative surrounding Morocco’s relationship with the Algerian Revolution has long been shaped by biased historical accounts , mostly propagated by Moroccan state discourse . This version of events portrays King Mohammed V as an unwavering ally of Algeria in its struggle for independence. However, a deeper examination of historical facts reveals that this support was neither unconditional nor altruistic . Rather, it was a political tool , used by the Moroccan monarchy to strengthen its position, gain leverage in negotiations with France, and pursue territorial ambitions at Algeria’s expense. Strategic, Self-Interested Support When the Algerian War of Independence erupted in 1954, Morocco had just gained its own independence in 1956. Still grappling with internal instability and political uncertainty, King Mohammed V saw the Algerian struggle as an opportunity —both to consolidate his rule and to extract concessions from France. By offering limited assistance to the FLN (Nationa...

In the summer of 1962, when the guns of the Algerian War of Independence finally fell silent, it was not merely the end of a conflict. It was the rebirth of a nation. After 132 years of colonial domination, dispossession, and resistance, Algeria emerged free, sovereign, and determined to reclaim its place among the nations of the world. The cost of that freedom had been immense. Hundreds of thousands of Algerians had sacrificed their lives so that future generations could inherit an independent homeland. The young Republic inherited a devastated country, a shattered economy, and institutions that had yet to be built. Yet it also inherited something far more powerful: an unbreakable national spirit forged through years of struggle and sacrifice. The Algerian people hoped that independence would usher in an era of reconstruction and unity. Villages were rebuilding. Families were mourning their martyrs and welcoming home former prisoners, exiles, and freedom fighters. The nation was looki...

A document from the French intelligence services, dated December 16, 1957, reveals Morocco's expansionist ambitions toward Algeria during the Algerian War of Independence. This document sheds new light on the complex relationship between the two countries and partially contradicts the historical narrative taught in Algeria, which emphasizes Morocco's unconditional support for the Algerian revolution. In the official version of the Algerian War's history, as taught in Algerian schools, Morocco under King Mohammed V is portrayed as a steadfast ally in the struggle for Algerian independence. This narrative highlights the unity of the Moroccan and Algerian peoples in their fight against French colonialism. It is true that the Algerian revolutionaries initially saw their struggle as part of a broader Maghreb liberation movement (Tunisia – Algeria – Morocco). The attack on the Northern Constantine region in August 1955, for example, was carried out in response to the exile of the...

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's statements in Rabat have generated considerable attention after he declared that France's position on Western Sahara is now "unchangeable" and that Paris stands alongside Morocco "loyally and faithfully." Yet despite their political significance, these remarks do not represent a fundamental shift in French policy. France did not choose its side today. It chose its side nearly half a century ago. Western Sahara: A Decolonization Issue, Not a Regional Dispute Contrary to the narrative often promoted in many Western media outlets, the Western Sahara question is not merely a regional dispute between Algeria and Morocco. From the perspective of the United Nations, the territory remains on the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories and continues to be considered an unfinished decolonization issue. Therefore, the core of the matter is not military balance or facts established on the ground, but rather the right of the Sahra...

The dismantling, in the wilaya of Tizi Ouzou, of a criminal group belonging to the terrorist movement known as the MAK is not merely a routine security incident. It is a warning signal—a serious, stark, and unmistakable reminder that the threats facing Algeria are neither imaginary nor exaggerated, nor simply the product of patriotic rhetoric that some are quick to ridicule. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of National Defence (MDN) on Monday, July 13, Army security services, acting on effectively exploited intelligence, succeeded in dismantling a group of six individuals affiliated with the MAK. Among them were four Moroccan nationals residing illegally on Algerian territory. This detail is far from insignificant. In fact, it is central to the matter. It raises a question that many prefer to avoid confronting directly: how can foreign nationals living illegally in the country become involved, according to the authorities, in a structure linked to a movement classified a...

The Moroccan newspaper Assahifa ’s article attempting to portray Algeria as a source of instability in the Sahel is less a security analysis than a political propaganda exercise. Under the pretext of commenting on the dismantling of an ISIS-linked cell in Morocco, the article constructs a carefully crafted narrative: terrorism in the Sahel is allegedly fueled by separatism, separatism is allegedly sustained by Algeria, and Europe should therefore regard Rabat as its primary security bulwark. This narrative may serve a state communication strategy, but it does not withstand scrutiny when confronted with facts, international data, or the recent history of the region. The first weakness of the article is methodological. It begins with a genuine security event—an anti-terrorist operation conducted in Morocco—and gradually shifts toward a geopolitical indictment of Algeria. Yet no direct operational evidence is provided linking the dismantled cell to Algerian territory, Algerian institution...

There is a scene that repeats itself, in one form or another, in almost every Algerian household: an Algerian doctor whose diagnosis is questioned until it is confirmed by a French colleague; a local engineer whose recommendations are dismissed until a foreign expert rephrases them in another language; a national product viewed with suspicion until an imported brand name is attached to it. This scene is not an isolated incident, but rather a recurring symptom of a civilizational pathology that Malek Bennabi described with remarkable precision more than half a century ago: colonizability . The true value of this concept lies not in its accusatory nature, but in its diagnostic function. Bennabi did not write to absolve the colonizer; he raised a far more disturbing question: Why does colonialism find fertile ground in which to expand? According to him, the answer lies not only in the artillery of the conqueror, but also in a weakness embedded within the very consciousness of the coloniz...

The assault of a 14-year-old Algerian teenager in a fan zone in the United States should not be dismissed as a mere isolated incident. It is a particularly serious warning sign. The fact that a child could be targeted because of a football jersey is a reality that should outrage anyone committed to the values of respect and human dignity. For several years, social media has become the stage for a troubling radicalization of public discourse. Insults, smear campaigns, constant provocations, and calls for confrontation have gradually normalized a hostility that should never have left the virtual sphere. Today, the danger is that this verbal violence may evolve into real-world violence. Most alarming is the fact that the first victims of this toxic climate are often the youngest members of society. An entire generation is growing up under the influence of content that divides rather than unites, that fuels resentment instead of encouraging dialogue. When a teenager attends a sporting even...

In an article entitled “How Much Longer Will Algerian Historians Continue to Ride the Myths of False History?” , published on a Moroccan website, Bernard Lugan revisits a long-standing thesis of his own, advancing a revisionist reading of Algerian history that questions the historical continuity of the Central Maghreb and minimizes the political and cultural realities that predated French rule. This approach is revealing in itself. Rather than engaging with sources, archives, historical evidence, and continuity, Lugan prefers to shift the discussion onto psychological and ideological terrain. The issue is no longer the validity of an argument, but the supposed motives of the person advancing it. Such a method may be convenient in polemics, but it remains intellectually weak, as it avoids the central question: does Algeria possess a historical depth that predates French colonization? A Logic of Erasure Rather Than Inquiry The fundamental problem is that, in order to argue that Algeria i...