Ségolène Royal, president of the France-Algeria Association and former socialist presidential candidate, has detailed her efforts to rekindle dialogue between France and Algeria, a relationship strained for nearly two years due to a crisis instigated by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Franco-Algerian relations dialogue
Speaking with Radio Sud, Royal described the current state of Franco-Algerian relations as slowly improving. She revealed her pivotal role, as head of the France-Algeria Association, in re-establishing communication channels between officials of both nations. "Upon my return from Algeria, I met with Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin at his request to brief him on the visit," Royal stated. "We spoke one-on-one for an hour, and I explained, and indeed advised him, to go to Algeria without imposing preconditions."
Prior to Royal's visit, the French Interior Minister had spoken of conditions, including the release of French sports journalist Christophe Gleyses, sentenced to seven years for supporting and glorifying terrorism, and the resumption of deportations for Algerians residing illegally in France. These statements had led to the Algerian side ignoring the visit, which was requested by Paris.
During her visit to Algeria, Royal cautioned the French side against missing the opportunity to revive bilateral relations. "The Interior Minister must go there, to Algeria; he has been awaited for some time, without prior conditions, because all Interior Ministers in France hide behind that," she remarked.
Elaborating on her meeting with the French Interior Minister, Royal explained, "If you need Algeria to revive the partnership, you must go. If you want to set preconditions, there is no need to go. Would France accept conditions being set before its visit?"
Royal also recalled her meeting with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune earlier in January. "When I was received by the President, he told me that Gérald Darmanin would be welcome, provided he did not speak of preconditions. I find this normal for a sovereign state."
The former leader of the French Socialist Party accused former Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and the far-right of exhibiting racism when discussing Algerians and North Africans in general. "When they want to target Algeria, their discourse is limited to a few deviants, while ignoring their positive role in building France," she noted.
Royal emphasized during her visit to Algeria the necessity of changing perceptions of Algerians and North Africans. "I witnessed great achievements there. I visited an artificial intelligence school, factories, companies, and places of success, to highlight that Algerians are not just those spoken of by Bernard Cazeneuve and others, but also the 6,000 doctors working in French hospitals, and many others in various specializations."
Furthermore, Royal accused French President Emmanuel Macron of failing on the memory file, a project he had championed since his first term. "President Macron, in his 2017 election campaign for his first term, described colonialism as a crime against humanity and spoke of decolonization and the return of cultural property seized by France from former colonies," she stated, adding, "France must apologize to Algeria." She denied that Macron had offered even "half an apology."
Royal questioned the lack of progress over the past decade, noting Macron's return to similar rhetoric. She described this stance as a "failure to commit or a lack of appreciation, and a disregard for the African 'other,' even a neo-colonial act. It is blindness and delusion, and one of its results is France's expulsion from many Francophone African countries." She cited the recent Franco-African summit, which was held in Kenya, an Anglophone country, because leaders of nations formerly colonized by France refused to meet under French presidency. "This is very painful for France, which today must establish relations of equals based on respect with its former colonies, contrary to what we see today," Royal concluded.
Related topics: France Algeria relations, Ségolène Royal diplomacy, Algerian French dialogue, Diplomatic relations, Bilateral cooperation, Algeria
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