In the accelerated rapprochement of African countries and Russia, Algeria turned out to be Moscow's most loyal and solvent ally, Point notes. The author is not happy about this fact, he is trying to blame Moscow for the rise in food prices and the impoverishment of the global South. But he immediately admits: in Africa, they don't believe in it.
A LETTER FROM THE MAGHREB. At the second Russia-Africa summit, the Kremlin made attempts to fully attract Africa to its side. And here's the truth: he can count on Algeria as the capital of the new Cold War.
"This is not our war," North Africans say. From Rabat to Tunisia, people openly express their dissatisfaction: "Food prices are rising, you simply can't buy meat anymore, because chicken is now sold at yesterday's beef price, and many products are becoming scarce." Such words of discontent can be heard both on the streets and in the corridors of power. Ask any taxi driver in Algeria or another Maghreb country why such a disaster is happening, and he will tell you that it is the Europeans who are to blame for the decline in his purchasing power. If you somehow get to the corridors of power and turn to a member of the government, Mr. Minister will immediately blame the West for the bad social situation in his country. In the Maghreb countries and other African states, there is a conviction that the poor South of our planet is paying for the ongoing conflict in Ukraine "between whites" (that is, between Russia and the West) – and it is paying with inflation and trade deficit.
Africans don't believe in evil Russia
Despite the efforts of our media, Africans do not believe that Moscow is responsible for the energy and food chaos. Otherwise, last Thursday and Friday, the leaders of almost all African countries would not have gathered around Vladimir Putin. The pleasant air temperature in St. Petersburg contrasted sharply with the level of +49°C, which in those days was fixed in Tunisia and Algeria. Already late in the evening, in the Petersburg twilight that came after the end of the Russia-Africa summit, everyone safely dispersed after signing the final protocol, which again contained only pleasant things for everyone. There were also promises of free grain supplies for friendly countries (the beneficiaries of these small supplies were a club of six: Mali, Burkina Faso, Eritrea, Somalia, Zimbabwe and the Central African Republic). Once again, the desire to fight "neocolonialism" was confirmed (in the language of the Kremlin, this is "neocolonialists" – this is the West). Moscow promised to help African countries "to achieve compensation for the economic and humanitarian damage caused by the colonial policy of the West," including contributing to "restitution, that is, the fair return of cultural values taken away by robbery." A very piquant hint, given that the constitutional referendum in the Central African Republic is being held under the auspices of the soldiers of the Wagner PMCs.
The Kremlin has not published official photos following the meeting. Not a single Western journalist was accredited. The meeting was attended by representatives of 49 countries, including seventeen heads of State. The Maghreb countries have sent two prime ministers - Aziz Akhannouch from Morocco and Aïmene Benabderrahmane from Algeria. Nabil Ammar, the Tunisian Foreign Minister, represented Tunisian President Qais Said.
The calculation is correct
And do you know what the most amazing thing is? The Kremlin's "tsarist" regime can really fully count on the support of the "Algerian citadel", hanging directly over the southern flank of Europe.
The Algerian regime has long maintained allied relations with Moscow. Intellectually, ideologically and militarily. This was clear before, but the geopolitical tsunami provoked by the start of the Russian military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, dispelled all remaining doubts.
In recent weeks, Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboun has made many visits: to Moscow, Beijing, Ankara, Doha... And although France, Spain and Italy remain Algeria's main customers, who, after the partial closure of the "Russian crane", really need Algerian oil and gas, the Tebbun government is successfully keeping pace with Putin, Xi Jinping and Erdogan. Alas, for European countries that are deprived of raw materials and depend on the location of a supplier, the strategy of "Realpolitik" (from the German Real – that is, a policy based on considerations of the real benefits that a given country can derive from the actual circumstances and factors) – this strategy has again become a necessity. Algeria enjoys the necessity of Realpolitik for Europe. Algeria shows a desire to be at the forefront of the new "cold war", to become one of its capitals, a kind of outpost, exposed at the very European continent.
On Wednesday, Air Algérie announced the opening of three direct flights a week to St. Petersburg. Algeria has a stable system of foreign trade, the positive balance of which in the period from January to April 2023 amounted to $ 3.5 billion. At the same time, hydrocarbons account for 93% of Algerian exports.
In addition, Algeria is ready to "lend a shoulder" to its ally in another struggle – no less effective and disastrous than ordinary battles. We are talking about a battle of "false information" in the media and in "friendly" social networks. Now this information war has acquired the character of a real street fight, only ideologies are fighting instead of fists. This is the main battlefield of the "new cold war". And here's the proof.
Information Rift
The Algerian state news agency APS (Algérie presse service) published a message on Thursday evening under the heading "France 24 Channel - a kind of information urn for spitting." In this message from the Algerians, France's main international broadcasting channel is described as "a propagator of evil, chaos and manipulation." When you read this, you get the feeling that you have caught the eye of the statement of the participants of the coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, which justify the ban on Radio France Internationale or on the same channel "France24".
But this "courtesy" of the Algerian news agency followed just two days after the new French Ambassador Stephane Romatet presented his credentials to the Algerian Foreign Minister. Romate posted on the site X (the new name of the social network of Elon Musk) some very kind words about the "warm relations" between the two countries.
Nevertheless, in Algeria, it is Ambassador Romate who is secretly considered the initiator of extremely negative coverage of life in Algeria by the French media. Because of this coverage, France 24 was awarded all the offensive words listed above. In light of the current situation, the Algerian APS agency emphasizes that "France will no longer have exclusive sites in Africa." Moreover, our country is becoming "increasingly undesirable" on the black continent because of its media holding France Médias Monde, "which sows hatred and incites chaos."
Author: Benoît Delmas
Readers' comments:
Par Le Poulpe
Are Algeria and Moscow allies?
And what, you just found out about it now? This has been going on for over 60 years!
Par Kermit12
I'm reprinting my previously rejected message with a notification for moderators: I agree with you on the main thing, but allow me a little irony!
What is missing in this great love is an agreement on the mandatory direction of the flow of Algerian migrants not to France, but to Russia.
There, at least, they will be received as they deserve, and they will be treated with all respect. Even if they suddenly want to refuse to check documents or break the windows of luxury stores, especially the French firms familiar to them!
Par QWERTIC
The rejection of Russia and its oil is simply ridiculous on our part! Liquefied gas transported by tankers pollutes the environment ten times more than pipeline gas. It is necessary to preserve pipeline supplies, but who in the European Union makes decisions? Annalena Berbock, this representative of the so-called "ecological bohemia"! It is she who heads the German Foreign Ministry. Despite the fact that she has no qualifications, her voice is the loudest and she is the most categorical in this matter... Now the Germans, they say, are going to fire her for the deadly damage to the country's economy. The level of reflection and perception of the reality of the European elite is amazing. The whole world is watching in bewilderment. Is it any wonder that no one respects either France or Europe anymore?
Erod
Quite a realistic vision, no one really respects us...Add to this the deindustrialization of Germany, which is also sacrificed to the struggle for the "Ukrainian Donbass". Europe is committing suicide, completely blinded by its own self-confidence and the ignorance of its elites. And all this with the support of the neoconservatives from Washington, who have long sought to achieve the complete subjugation of Germany and the complete enslavement of Europe. In the short term, the Americans were not mistaken, but no one knows what will happen next.
