ALGERIAN PATRIOTS - ENGLISH

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...

Just hours before the kickoff of the 2026 World Cup, FIFA could have simply focused on football. It could have highlighted the game, the national teams, the fans, and the universality of a global event meant to unite people beyond political divides. But the institution led by Gianni Infantino once again chose to remind us that its supposed neutrality is not a guiding principle—it is a variable instrument. The decision to grant a symbolic accreditation to French journalist Christophe Gleizes, currently detained in Algeria, was hailed by Reporters Without Borders as a “strong gesture” of support. According to several media outlets, FIFA issued him accreditation to cover the entire 2026 World Cup—hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico from June 11 to July 19—even though he remains incarcerated in Algeria following a conviction for “apology of terrorism,” reportedly linked to alleged contacts with members of the MAK, an organization classified as terrorist by Algerian authorities...

In France’s official messaging, one idea keeps resurfacing: relations with Algeria are “meant” to improve, driven by shared history and deep human and economic interdependence. Yet each time this narrative meets reality, the same hard political truth emerges: a genuine strategic reconciliation cannot be built while policies continue that Algeria interprets as a direct blow to its vital interests . Two files, in particular, function as both catalysts and sincerity tests: Western Sahara and colonial memory . This gap is not only visible in major decisions, but also in how political time is managed: Paris signals de-escalation while maintaining structural fault lines. As a result, questioning France’s real intentions is not an emotional reflex—it is a matter of strategic consistency between words and deeds. 1) Western Sahara: When Alliance Architecture Undermines Any Announced “Rapprochement” In the summer of 2024, French diplomacy took a decisive turn by asserting that the “present and ...

The international military exercise Africa Lion , regularly presented as one of the pillars of security cooperation between African forces and their Western partners, is taking place this year in a particularly troubling context. Within the space of just a few days, several serious incidents in Morocco have cast a shadow over an operation meant to showcase coordination, operational control, and regional stability. The disappearance of two U.S. soldiers involved in the exercises was the first warning sign. Although the exact circumstances of the incident have not yet been fully clarified, it prompted the rapid deployment of significant ground and air search assets, immediately highlighting the complexity of the terrain and the conditions of operation. An aviation accident revealing material and operational vulnerabilities It was during these search operations that a Moroccan military helicopter crashed while flying over a hard‑to‑access area. While the precise causes of the accident rem...

Within just a few days, the Malian crisis has changed in nature. What is unfolding is no longer merely a chronic deterioration of security, but a rupture event : a simultaneous offensive targeting several strategic nodes, an apparent breakdown in the chain of command, a rollback (or retreat) of Russian allies in the North, and a rapidly reconfigured regional diplomatic game. At the heart of this sequence, a structural reality resurfaces: Algeria’s geopolitical centrality within the Sahelian architecture —not by proclamation, but through geographic, security, and diplomatic constraints. Three days after the attacks, the situation remains confused. Key northern and central localities (including Kidal, Gao, Bourem, Konna, Sévaré and Mopti) are reported to have fallen or are being contested, while the transitional executive in Bamako projects the image of a power in retreat, at times silent. The head of the transitional authorities had not reappeared publicly by the date in question, befor...

The decision by Mali to withdraw its recognition of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) comes within the framework of a broader reshaping of geopolitical equilibria in the Sahel and North Africa. Far from being a mere symbolic diplomatic gesture, this decision reveals a redefinition of strategic alignments, rising tensions with the foundational principles of international law, and a set of internal contradictions likely to affect the coherence of Malian foreign policy. 1. A Break with Africa’s Normative Framework Since the post-independence period, Africa’s political architecture—first embodied by the Organization of African Unity and later by the African Union—has been built upon two fundamental pillars: the inviolability of borders inherited from colonialism and the right of peoples to self-determination . As an entity recognized by the African Union, the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic forms part of this historical framework. Any challenge to its recognition therefore doe...

It took just one official post on X — sober, documented, and diplomatic — to expose an embarrassing reality: whenever Algeria is mentioned, some Moroccans would rather deny history than read it . A few days ago, the United States Embassy in Algiers recalled, with evidence in hand, a basic historical fact: the 1795 Treaty of Peace and Amity , signed in Algiers, constitutes one of the oldest chapters in Algerian–American relations. This treaty exists, it is accessible, and it is archived. And yet, instead of a calm debate, a wave of comments emerged seeking to declare as “impossible” what the archives clearly attest. A significant share of the most aggressive reactions — largely stemming from a Moroccan controversy on social media — revolved around a repetitive slogan: “Algeria did not exist in 1795.” In other words: if the fact is inconvenient, deny the fact. If the document contradicts the narrative, accuse the document. This is the logic of rewriting history through incantation and s...