ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

It has now become clear that, for Morocco, football is no longer merely a sport: it has been elevated into a national doctrine , a pillar of identity serving a political narrative. What should have remained the ordinary organization of a continental competition has turned into a politico‑media ritual , where each match must demonstrate a form of symbolic superiority, and every result is interpreted as proof of national prowess. Within this inflated narrative, football becomes the alpha and the omega : an instrument of economic promotion, a mask covering social fragilities, a diplomatic lever, and, above all, a symbolic weapon directed at a neighbor constantly present in the discourse: Algeria , even when it is not involved. The recent article published by Hespress illustrates this drift with striking clarity. Beneath the surface of sporting celebration, one finds an excessive fixation on Algeria , fueled by anxious anticipation of reactions that, in reality, do not exist. According to...

The recent article published by Hespress , portraying the so-called “precision strikes” of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces against the Polisario Front , reads less like strategic analysis than military communication masquerading as journalism. Beneath its technical vocabulary and self-congratulatory tone lies a carefully crafted narrative designed to normalize a political impasse, sanitize legally questionable practices, and equate technological superiority with legitimacy. Rewriting Responsibility The article opens with the familiar claim that Morocco is exercising “restraint and wisdom” in response to Polisario “low-intensity provocations.” This framing deliberately obscures a fundamental fact acknowledged in official UN reports : it was Morocco’s military intervention at Guerguerat in November 2020 that effectively ended the 1991 ceasefire . Since then, the conflict has not been “frozen” but has entered a phase of sustained low-intensity warfare , for which Rabat bears primary...

On the occasion of the Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco , the media discourse close to the Moroccan authorities witnessed a clear escalation, characterized by fabricated narratives, staged media scenes, and a series of provocations against Algeria . This strategy—aimed at politically exploiting a sporting event—reveals a fragile social and political backdrop that the authorities are visibly attempting to conceal and divert public attention away from. Unacceptable Provocations In addition to speeches and media narratives, this tournament was marked by two widely discussed incidents: In several Moroccan cities , Algerian flags were displayed upside down , turning what should have been a simple protocol gesture into a highly symbolic message. In an already sensitive political context, this act was interpreted as a deliberate provocation directed at Algeria. During the opening ceremony, the Algerian flag was the only flag that was not visible (the camera angle did not allow our nati...

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...

At the heart of Maghrebi turbulence, a deceptive fable has crept into certain Moroccan political and media discourses, one that seeks to forge a false symmetry between Algeria’s unwavering commitment to the sacred right of the Sahrawi people to self‑determination and what is brazenly presented as a purported Moroccan “right” to foment secessionist stirrings on Algerian soil—chief among them the phantom‑like Movement for the Self‑Determination of Kabylia (MAK). This equation is not only intellectually unsound but deeply perilous, for it dares to confuse a universally recognized decolonization cause with an identity‑subversion enterprise directed against a sovereign and millennial nation. By granting sponsorship to the MAK, Morocco has committed a strategic error of exceptional gravity, handing Algeria—on a silver platter—the opportunity to exploit a profound historical fault line: that of the Rif , a proud and indomitable land which, unlike Kabylia—eternally fused with the Algerian sou...

Avoiding direct polemics or loud declarations, Algeria has opted for heritage diplomacy and UNESCO procedure to respond—indirectly—to Moroccan claims over the origin of the caftan. At the 20th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (New Delhi, 8–13 December), Algiers emphasized confirmations and updates to elements inscribed since 2012, reinforcing its reading: the caftan is an authentic element of Algerian cultural identity, recognized within UNESCO’s framework. A Procedural Argument Elevated to Cultural Diplomacy In a statement published on 11 December via official channels, the Ministry of Culture and the Arts hailed “a new victory” for Algerian cultural diplomacy . Without departing from institutional sobriety, its communication stressed two core points: Inscription precedents : According to Algiers, the caftan appears in national files recorded since 2012, notably within the recognition of Tlemcen’s traditional herit...

The sixty‑day window that some outlets attributed to U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff closed without a “breakthrough” or any discernible political shift. No agreement, no formal talks, no pressure, no leverage—nothing. That outcome alone undercuts the narrative that framed this window as a “historic opportunity” or a “pressure card” aimed at Algeria. It also invites a broader reading anchored in the structural logic of power in North Africa, the Sahel, and the Mediterranean. 1) Algerian Decision‑Making Sovereignty and the Limits of the Diplomatic “Ultimatum” Algeria’s external posture is rooted in sovereign decision‑making and a renewed non‑alignment: it does not bend to convenience “timelines” or conditional injunctions. This is precisely why no official U.S. position ever established a binding deadline, brandished sanctions, or conditioned energy/economic files on a “response” to the initiative. In practice, the ultimatum is a low‑yield instrument against an actor for whom the political cos...

A recent official letter from Morocco to UNESCO has reignited a simmering cultural dispute between Rabat and Algiers . In its correspondence, the Moroccan government denounces what it calls “inappropriate remarks” — including expressions such as “sons of Bousbir” and “Kingdom of Marrakech” — allegedly voiced by Algerian civil society during the evaluation of Morocco’s bid to inscribe the “Moroccan” Caftan on UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Rabat accuses these actors of “political manipulation” and urges the organization to safeguard the integrity of its assessment process. Yet behind this diplomatic exchange lies a far deeper controversy: the origins of the Caftan and the legitimacy of Morocco’s claim to register it as part of its national heritage. Algerian civil society, highly active in heritage advocacy, views Rabat’s move as a blatant act of cultural appropriation — particularly since the Caftan was already recognized in 2012 by UNESCO as an ele...

Sometimes a project is so vast, so audacious, so gloriously out of proportion that it feels more like a legend than an engineering plan. The Nigeria–Morocco gas pipeline—recently dissected by the American consultancy North Africa Risk Consulting (NARCO) —is a textbook example. NARCO didn’t pull any punches, branding it a “pharaonic,” “useless,” and outright “white elephant” venture. In plain terms: colossal in cost, endless in scope, and almost certain to defy logic. TSGP vs. GAA: Logic Meets Imagination On one side stands Algeria’s Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline (TSGP) —a focused, pragmatic project involving just three countries: Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria . Most of the infrastructure is already in place, and aside from the Niger segment, the route is relatively straightforward. On the other side, Morocco champions the Atlantic Africa Pipeline (GAA) —an ambitious line stretching across 11 coastal nations , winding north to Morocco before crossing into Europe. A marathon pipeline riddled ...