Latest news with #Franco-Algerian
Ya Biladi
3 days ago
- Politics
- Ya Biladi
France considers freezing assets of Algerian officials
Tensions between France and Algeria could be heading toward a new escalation. According to L'Express, Paris is considering freezing the assets of «about twenty dignitaries» of the Algerian regime. This measure could be implemented in the event of further deterioration in relations between the two countries—a threat reportedly raised by the French Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau. «According to our information, this option is being seriously considered, both at Bercy (Ministry of Finance) and Beauvau (Ministry of the Interior). A list of 'about twenty dignitaries' has been drawn up», a government source told L'Express. These individuals hold key positions in the Algerian administration, security apparatus, and political system, while also owning properties or financial assets in France. «It is estimated that 801 members of the Algerian nomenklatura have financial interests in France and visit regularly. This figure does not include military personnel», the magazine added. The potential sanctions are reportedly being considered as «a response to Algiers' refusal to take back several of its nationals under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF). The idea within the government is to use this list of twenty dignitaries as a last resort in diplomatic negotiations between the two countries», according to L'Express. A first measure was already taken on May 16, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs suspended a 2007 agreement allowing holders of diplomatic passports to travel freely between the two countries without a visa. The current crisis between Paris and Algiers was sparked by President Emmanuel Macron's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara on July 30. The arrest of Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal in Algiers on November 16 further strained relations.
Ammon
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ammon
Karim Benzema unveils new girlfriend
Ammon News - Friday evening saw Karim Benzema stir up a media storm. Attending the Cannes Film Festival shortly after clinching the Saudi Arabian league title, the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner made a striking appearance on the red carpet — accompanied by a new companion. The football star was seen holding hands with 32-year-old Franco-Algerian actress Lyna Khoudri, seemingly confirming their relationship officially. Rumors about their romance have been circulating on social media for some time now. To recap, Benzema also secured the Saudi Pro League title with Al-Ittihad this season. He featured in 31 matches, netting 23 goals and providing 9 assists. The 37-year-old striker's contract with the club runs until summer 2026. Footboom1
El Chorouk
20-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Paris Foreign Minister Renews Appeal to Algeria in Sansal Case
While the French side insists, each time, that the French judiciary is sovereign and the executive authority has no influence over it, officials in Paris find no embarrassment in violating this principle, which is customary in democratic countries, by attempting to interfere in the affairs of the Algerian judiciary when it comes to France's interests. The latest chapter in this equation is what was issued by the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Jean-Noël Barrot, on Tuesday, April 20, 2025, where he did not hesitate to delve again into the case of the Franco-Algerian writer, Boualem Sansal, which is considered among the issues that have exacerbated relations between the two countries. In an interview with Radio France Internationale 'France Inter', the head of French diplomacy expressed hope that the Algerian authorities would take a 'humanitarian gesture' in favor of the Algerian-French writer Boualem Sansal. It was notable in his speech that he spoke of 'the Algerian authorities', which is usually understood as a reference to the political decision-makers in the country. The French official's statement came on the occasion of the start of the first sessions of the trial of the Franco-Algerian writer, who is accused of undermining the territorial integrity of the country, at the level of the Algiers Judicial Council, which decided to postpone the trial until June 24, with the verdict to be announced on July 1, 2025. Jean-Noël Barrot said: 'I am very concerned about his health. He is an elderly and frail man,' and he went on to comment: 'For this reason, I hope that he will be tried as soon as possible, and if possible in the next few days, so that after this ruling, a humanitarian gesture can be made towards him, a gesture that we have called on the Algerian authorities to make.' This is not the first time that such statements have been issued by French officials, from the highest official, represented by the master of the Elysée Palace, Emmanuel Macron, to his Prime Minister, François Bayrou, and his Interior Minister, Bruno Retailleau, and officials and deputies in both houses of parliament. However, the Algerian side has not responded to these demands, but rather considered them a blatant interference in the judicial affairs of a sovereign state. The Algerian judiciary had sentenced Boualem Sansal, who has been imprisoned since mid-November, to five years in prison on March 27, following statements Sansal made to the far-right channel 'Frontières'. These statements were interpreted by the Algerian judiciary as causing serious harm to the territorial integrity of the country, in addition to being contrary to historical truth and the reality on the ground. They were also severely criticized by the French historian, Benjamin Stora, who refuted them with irrefutable and undeniable evidence. The French minister's statements came in the context of an unjustified French escalation regarding this issue. On May 6, the French National Assembly (the lower house of parliament) adopted a parliamentary resolution calling for the 'immediate release' of the Franco-Algerian writer. The deputies also urged, through that resolution, the European Union to pressure Algeria to release Boualem Sansal, and also urged Brussels to condition any cooperation with Algeria on the release of the convicted writer. According to observers, the French foreign minister's statement will have no effect on the case of the Franco-Algerian writer, as long as Paris continues its provocations against Algeria, by targeting its consular interests (kidnapping and imprisoning consular officials outside diplomatic norms and the provisions of the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations), in addition to violating bilateral agreements in the diplomatic field, not to mention the continuous harassment of the Algerian community.
Euronews
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
France vows to expel Algerian diplomats in latest tit-for-tat move
France vowed to expel an unspecified number of Algerian diplomats from its territory on Wednesday in response to Algiers' decision to send back 15 French officials on Sunday. This latest instalment in the diplomatic tug of war between the two nations comes after Algeria expelled 12 French officials in mid-April, which led France to expel 12 Algerian diplomats and consular officials while recalling its ambassador. France's Foreign Affairs Minister Jean-Noël Barrot told broadcaster BFM that a number of Algerian officials who hold a diplomatic passports but who do not currently have valid visas to work in France would be sent back to their country. Asked how many officials France plans to expel, Barrot said: 'It's not so much a question of numbers, it's a question of quality (...). Algeria wanted to send back our agents, we're sending back theirs.' On Tuesday, Algeria's chargé d'affaires for the country's French embassy was summoned by the Quai d'Orsay and notified that officials would be forced to leave the country — two days after Algeria notified France's chargé d'affaires for its Algiers embassy that 15 civil servants working on temporary missions would be expelled. The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not yet issued a formal statement on its decision, but a press release from the Algerian Press Agency (APS) alleged that the French employees who were being expelled had been appointed under 'irregular conditions'. France's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded with a press release accusing Algeria of violating the countries' 2013 bilateral agreement by establishing "new conditions of access to Algerian territory for French public officials holding official, diplomatic or service passports". In his interview with BFM, Barrot said Algeria's decision was "incomprehensible and brutal", while defending France's response as "immediate, firm and a proportionate". Barrot said he would not rule out taking "further measures", depending on how the situation develops. The diplomatic dispute between France and Algeria has intensified this year and been fuelled by a range of issues, which include Algeria's refusal to readmit nationals who were ordered to leave France due to their criminal activity or a perceived threat to public order, as well as tensions over Algeria's imprisonment of the dissident Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal. However, the dispute began in earnest last year, when France announced it would back Morocco's longstanding claim to the disputed Western Sahara territory in July. The move was met with outrage by the Algerian government, which supports the local Sahrawi people's claim to self-determination, and led Algiers to recall its Paris ambassador. While French President Emmanuel Macron and his Algerian counterpart Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced in in early April that they had shared a promising phone call about the state of bilateral relations, their attempt to diffuse tensions appears to have been short-lived.
eNCA
06-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Cardinals to move into Vatican on eve of conclave
VATICAN CITY - Cardinals will on Tuesday begin moving into the Vatican accommodation where they will stay during the conclave, on the eve of their historic, secretive meeting to elect a new pope. Following the death of Pope Francis on 21 April, 133 cardinal electors will gather on Wednesday in the Sistine Chapel to select from among their number the new leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. They normally stay in the Vatican's Santa Marta guesthouse, which has en-suite bathrooms and hotel-style room service, but there are not enough rooms for them all. As a result, some of the cardinals will be housed at Santa Marta Vecchia, a building next door usually used to accommodate Vatican officials, with rooms allocated by drawing lots. With representatives from 70 countries across five continents, this conclave is the largest and the most international ever. Some 80 percent of the cardinals were elected by Francis, an energetic reformer from Buenos Aires who helped open up the Church during his 12-year papacy. But experts warn against assuming they will choose a progressive in his mould, and many conservatives are hoping for someone who will turn the focus back onto key doctrine. The 2,000-year-old Catholic Church has huge global influence but is struggling to adapt to the modern world and recover its reputation after the scandal of widespread child sex abuse by priests. For the past fortnight, cardinals from across the world have been holding near daily preparatory meetings to discuss the challenges -- and what they want and need from their new leader. In the final meeting on Tuesday morning before the conclave, they discussed Francis's reforms -- on tackling abuse and on Vatican finances, among others, according to press spokesman Matteo Bruni. They also discussed divisions within the Church and the need for a pope to bring hope, he said. Francis dedicated many of his pronouncements to calling for peace around the world, notably in the Middle East and Ukraine. In a statement, the cardinals noted "with regret" the lack of progress towards ending those conflicts, calling for ceasefires and negotiations without preconditions. - 'Five or six contenders' - The cardinal electors -- those aged under 80 -- will gather for a mass on Wednesday morning ahead of the conclave, which begins at 4:30pm (1430 GMT) that afternoon and could last several days. Both Francis and his predecessor, Benedict XVI, were elected within two days but the longest papal election in Church history lasted 1,006 days, from 1268 to 1271. More than a dozen names are circulating as potential frontrunners, from Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, to Hungarian conservative Peter Erdo. But with no candidate lists and no campaigning, and given the diversity of the electors, many experts warn there could be a surprise. Franco-Algerian cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco said the preparatory meetings -- which include electors aged under 80 as well as older cardinals -- have helped bring together a very disparate group. "We've come from so many countries, many of us had never met before. Finally we have got to know each other," he told Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper. There are "at least five or six" contenders, he said. "There were the so-called 'natural' candidates, those already known for their role and personality. And there are those who speak and make you think 'that is strong'." "But there is no-one who 'trounces' the others, who you think 'he's the one'. Yet it will happen", Vesco said. - 'Living history' - At the Vatican on Tuesday, tourists mulled over what they would like to see in the new pontiff. "He must not be too closed-minded. He must support young people who have different values than us," said Mexican tourist Veronica de Garcia, 30. But "a pope who is in favour of abortion is unthinkable, because there are things that cannot be negotiated", said Enzo Orsingher, 78, from Rome. The cardinals are sworn to secrecy, risking excommunication if they reveal what happens in the conclave, and are forbidden from contacting the outside world until they have a decision. AFP | Gabriel BOUYS The Vatican announced late on Monday that it would cut the phone signal within the tiny city state from 3:00 pm on Wednesday until a new pope is elected -- although this will not affect St Peter's Square. Required to leave their mobile telephones behind when the voting process begins, the cardinals will let the world know their progress by burning their ballots to produce smoke -- black for no decision, white for a new pope. The staff who will support them during the election, from medics to lift operators, canteen and cleaning staff, are also bound to secrecy, and took their own oaths on Monday.
