Tag Archives: Algiers

Lifestyle

France Expels Algerian diplomats amid escalating tensions

Maravi Post Reporter

France has expelled several Algerian officials holding diplomatic passports without visas, in a retaliatory move following Algeria’s recent expulsion of 15 French diplomatic agents. The French Foreign Ministry summoned Algeria’s chargé d’affaires to convey the decision, emphasizing that France reserves the right to take additional measures depending on how the situation evolves.

This tit-for-tat exchange marks a significant deterioration in relations between the two countries, which have been historically complex due to their colonial past. Tensions escalated last year when French President Emmanuel Macron expressed support for Morocco in the Western Sahara dispute, angering Algeria. Although there was a brief improvement in relations following a visit to Algiers by French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, the reciprocal expulsions have reignited tensions.

Barrot stated that diplomatic relations are now “totally blocked”. He labeled Algeria’s latest decision as “unjustified” and vowed a strong and proportionate response.

The strained relations carry significant implications, affecting security, trade, and social ties, given that about 10% of France’s population has connections to Algeria. The diplomatic rift underscores the fragility of the relationship between the two nations and the challenges in navigating their shared history and geopolitical interests.

As the situation develops, both countries face the task of managing the fallout from these diplomatic expulsions and seeking avenues to restore dialogue and cooperation.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/88/00/00/ED_PYR_1488000_20250514113438.mp4
Lifestyle

France and Algeria in deepening diplomatic crisis amid Tit-for-Tat expulsions

Maravi Post Reporter

Diplomatic relations between France and Algeria have reached a new low following Algeria’s recent expulsion of 15 French diplomatic agents, intensifying an already volatile situation marked by mutual distrust and retaliatory measures.

On May 12, Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the French chargé d’affaires in Algiers to inform him that 15 French officials were being expelled for holding “irregular positions.” This move follows a series of escalating actions between the two nations, including previous expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned Algeria’s decision as “unjustified,” vowing an immediate and proportionate response. “The departure of agents on temporary missions is unjustified and, as I did last month, we will respond immediately and in a strong and proportionate manner,” Barrot stated during a visit to Normandy.

Tensions between the two countries have been simmering for months, exacerbated by France’s support for Morocco’s autonomy plan over the disputed Western Sahara region—a stance that Algeria perceives as a betrayal of its longstanding position supporting the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.

The situation further deteriorated in April when Algeria expelled 12 French embassy staff in response to the arrest of an Algerian consular official in Paris. The official was allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Franco-Algerian activist Amir Boukhors, also known as Amir DZ, a critic of the Algerian government. France retaliated by expelling 12 Algerian diplomats and recalling its ambassador from Algiers.

Adding to the strain, Algeria recently expelled two French intelligence agents accused of entering the country using fake diplomatic passports. According to Algerian state media, the agents were operating under the French Interior Ministry’s Directorate of Internal Security and failed to comply with legal procedures upon entry.

The diplomatic rift has significant implications beyond politics. France and Algeria share deep economic ties, with trade between the two nations reaching nearly €12 billion in 2023. Approximately 6,000 French companies are involved in commercial relationships with the Algerian market. The business community has expressed concern over the potential fallout, urging political leaders to exercise caution to preserve this vital economic relationship.

Migration issues have also been a point of contention. France has accused Algeria of refusing to repatriate Algerian nationals expelled from France, leading to France’s decision to impose travel restrictions on Algerian diplomatic passport holders. Algeria condemned the move as a breach of bilateral agreements and warned of “strict and immediate countermeasures.”

As both nations brace for further diplomatic fallout, the situation underscores the fragility of Franco-Algerian relations, rooted in a complex history and compounded by contemporary geopolitical disagreements.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/69/50/07/ED_PYR_1469507_20250512140459.mp4
Lifestyle

Algeria commemorates thousands killed by French troops in 1945 massacres

Maravi Post Reporter

As Europe celebrates the 80th anniversary of its triumph over fascism and the end of World War II, Algeria is remembering a darker anniversary: the colonial-era massacres that erupted the same day.

In ceremonies in Guelma, Kherrata and Setif, the cities where the massacres took place, Algerians paid homage to those who were killed.

In a message this week, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune framed the event as a matter of national pride and prelude to the country’s fight for independence after 132 years of French colonialism.

Algeria’s ministry of war veterans is marking the anniversary with a series of events under the slogan, “A people without memory is a people without a future.”

The fight for independence

More than 500,000 tirailleurs (light infantry) from North Africa, West Africa, and Madagascar fought for France during World War II. Some volunteered. Others were forcibly conscripted. Many, including more than 100,000 Algerian tirailleurs, hoped their sacrifices would secure them greater rights.

But when the war ended, Algerians who dared to demand them were met with repression and violence, even as then-Gen. Charles De Gaulle exalted how “the cause of liberty and justice” had prevailed in a radio broadcast throughout France and its colonies, including Algeria.

On May 8, 1945, Algerians filled city streets in Ain Temouchent, Guelma, Kherrata and Setif, waving flags and reviving pre-war calls for independence. Protesters were met with police fire. Violent anti-French riots broke out, killing more than 100.

France subsequently launched an air and ground offensive that killed thousands of Algerians — 45,000 according to Algerian authorities and around 3,000 according to French statistics.

No official apology from France

Tebboune and French President Emmanuel Macron announced a truth commission-style “dossier de memoire” in 2022, led by a committee of historians from both countries. Yet, its activities have stalled amid deteriorating relations over issues such as immigration and how France juggles ties between Algeria and its regional rival Morocco.

Daho Djerbal, an Algerian historian who has written extensively on the events of May 8, 1945 and interviewed many survivors, said that day was a turning point in the country’s history when Algerians began to seek independence.

And, he said, France “has never acknowledged that they committed a mass murder. That’s the current term; we can call it a crime against humanity or a war crime. There was no declared war against the Algerian people. And we sent the air force, the navy, and field artillery to suppress a demonstration.”

French leaders, including Macron, have called for truth and recognition but stopped short of fulfilling Algeria’s demands for a formal state apology.

A delegation of around 30 French lawmakers from left and centrist parties arrived in Algiers on Wednesday to participate in the commemorations of the massacres.

Source: Africanews

https://video.euronews.com/mp4/ED/14/37/58/02/ED_PYR_1437582_20250508141930.mp4
Lifestyle

Is an African pope a priority for the upcoming conclave?

Maravi Post Reporter

Cardinals electing a new pope have some fundamental questions to weigh, beyond whether to give the Catholic Church its first Asian or African pontiff, or a conservative or progressive.

Although they come from 70 different countries, the 133 cardinals seem fundamentally united in finding a pope who will be able to make the 2,000-year-old church credible and relevant today, especially to young people.

It’s a tall task, given the sexual abuse and financials scandals that have harmed the church’s reputation and the secularizing trends in many parts of the world that are turning people away from organized religion.

Add to that the Holy See’s dire financial state and often dysfunctional bureaucracy, and the job of being pope in the 21st century seems almost impossible.

“We need a superman!” said Cardinal William Seng Chye Goh, the 67-year-old archbishop of Singapore.

The cardinals will begin trying to find him Wednesday afternoon, when those “princes of the church” walk solemnly into the Sistine Chapel to the meditative chant of the “Litany of the Saints.” They’ll take their oaths of secrecy under the daunting vision of heaven and hell in Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement,” hear a meditation from a senior cardinal, and then cast their first ballot.

Assuming no candidate secures the necessary two-thirds majority, or 89 votes, the cardinals will retire for the day and return on Thursday. They will have two ballots in the morning and then two in the afternoon, until a winner is found.

The church in Africa

According to Vatican statistics, Catholics represent 3.3% of the population in Asia, but their numbers are growing, especially in terms of seminarians, as they are in Africa, where Catholics represent about 20% of the population. Catholics are 64% of the population in the Americas, 40% of Europe’s population and 26% of Oceania’s population, according to Vatican statistics from 2023, the last available year.

Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, the archbishop of Kinshasa, Congo, said he is in Rome to elect a pope for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

“I am not here for the Congo, I am not here for Africa, I am here for the universal church. That is our concern, the universal church,” he told reporters. “When we are done, I will return to Kinshasa and I will put back on my archbishop of Kinshasa hat and the struggle continues.”

Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the chatty French-born archbishop of Algiers, Algeria, lamented last week that there hadn’t been enough time for the cardinals to get to know one another, since many of them had never met before and hail from 70 countries in the most geographically diverse conclave in history.

By this week, however, he said that any number of candidates were possible.

Voting blocs

Italy (17) has the most electors followed by the United States (10). Brazil (7), France and Spain (5 each) follow in third and fourth place respectively.

Argentina, Canada, India, Poland and Portugal have 4 electors each.

Here is a regional breakdown of the full 135 cardinal electors, according to Vatican statistics and following the Vatican’s geographic grouping.

Europe: 53. (An elector who says he’s skipping the conclave is from Spain, so the actual number of Europeans is expected to be 52.)

Asia (including the Middle East): 23

Africa: 18. (Another elector who says he’s skipping the conclave is from Kenya, so the number of Africans is expected to be 17.)

South America: 17

North America: 16 (of whom 10 are American, 4 are Canadian and 2 are Mexican)

Central America: 4

Oceania: 4 (1 each from Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga)

Source: Africanews

Travel & Tourism

Tourism: Traversing the best wine countries in Africa

MaraviPost

The mention of wine for many, brings a lot of imaginations especially those of luxury, vineyards, dining and wining. For others, the fancies go all the way to romantically exotic destinations, fondly sipping glasses of some red or white wine with their inamorata(o)s. For wine lovers planning to turn their flight of fancy into reality, here are Africa’s best wine countries to consider for your bucket list.

South African Wine
South Africa leads in having some of the best wine destinations not just in Africa but also in the entire world,

South Africa

South Africa leads in having some of the best wine destinations not just in Africa but also in the entire world, having been identified as a wine growing country since the late 17th century. Traversing the country’s thousands of vineyards, some whose history dates back to 1659, will create a completely enticing world whose sheer beauty immerses you into an unforgettable adventure. From the Constantia wine valley located at the foot of the Constantiaberg Mountain, to the Stellenbosch Winelands which is the second oldest wine producing region, sample some of the best wines that SA has to offer. Traverse through the ancient settler’s town of ‘Paarl’, not forgetting the Franschhoek Wine Valley and experience its homely atmosphere and lush scenery.

 

If you like, go on a binge and once in awhile losing yourself to the wine world. The South African wine valleys are also child friendly, offering great play fields for your little ones. Whether seeking a solo encounter, a romantic getaway or a family bonding wine indulging experience, South Africa should top your list. Gourmet foods are available and accommodation to suite every style.

Algeria

Algeria Wine
Algeria
Argued to be the second largest wine country in Africa, Algeria is a close rival of South Africa also seeking to claim its position as a top wine producing destination in the continent.

Argued to be the second largest wine country in Africa, Algeria is a close rival of South Africa also seeking to claim its position as a top wine producing destination in the continent. The Hauts Plateaux region is a force to be reckoned with, for remaining steady in the production of Algerian red and white wines including Algiers, Coteaux De Mascara, D’hara, Coteaux De Tlemcen Chlef and Béjaïa; all favorites of many connoisseurs of wine. Take a tour of the wine cellars, sample the various tastes and get treated to alluring views of the country’s dense vineyards.

 

Tunisia

Is Rose Wine your most favorite of them all? Tunisia is the best African country you can possibly experience this magical red wine, made from a variety of red grapes including Grenache, Clairette, Cinsaut Mourvèdre, Carignan, Syrah, Merlot and Alicante Bouschet.

If red in not your thing, feel the white’s touch of lost paradise from the Muscat of Alexandria, Pedro Ximenez and Chardonnay grapes. The French flavor from Tunisia’s wine is everything you would like to sample in the wine world.

 

 

Morocco

Morocco is yet another wine producing African country and while the industry is said to have a long way to go, it remains a major destination for wine lovers. Visit the Atlas Mountains that command quite a share of fame in producing renowned wines in the country. White is more common, while red is still grown in some parts of Morocco.

 

Cape Verde

It is not so popular with wine production, since only the Chã das Caldeiras, a small community in the Fogo Island produces wine. Yet, you can find some of the best red and white wines in Cape Verde that will activate your smell and taste glands with the brut.

 

Ethiopia

Few people know Ethiopia as a wine country, yet Ethiopian wine enthusiasts have since 1998 been enjoying locally produced wine from Ziway, a small region in the Horn of Africa. visit the country’s Rift Valley and have a chance to indulge in both red and white wine from Bordeaux, whose consumption goes well beyond the Ethiopian borders. Enjoy the scenic lakes enclosed by an impenetrable woodland with thrilling bird life for your adventure.

 

Josephine Wawira writes for Jumia Travel