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Gulf Today
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Sahel states recall envoys from Algeria
Power equations among countries and in regions change pretty fast especially when that country and that region is going through difficult times and through times of instability. This has been so in the cases of Burkina Faso, Male and Niger. All the three have gone through military coups, and there is a situation of civil war in each of them. Armed rebels face national armies. For a long time, these countries had French troops stationed in their countries, but after the coups, the French have been asked to withdraw their forces from the region. Burkina Faso, Male and Niger felt that the presence of French troops did not help much in controlling the situation. It is to be noted that these three countries and other in this part of Africa, south of the Sahara, have been former French colonies. They are part of the Francophone countries. But as a former colonial power, France had carried too much historical baggage to be of any help in stabilising the political situation. The big unstated problem was the challenge posed by militant groups with a religious orientation, attacking minority groups and trying to impose authoritarian regimes. The armies in these countries, which were mainly national armies that managed the colonial states that emerged at the time of decolonisation, were more involved in defending the state's interests and avoid sectarian conflicts. This is also the reason that those in power in Burkina Faso, Male and Niger have leaned towards Russia for arms and men – mostly private armies from Russia – to fight the armed rebels. This development of course brings its own set of problems, but that is another issue. Meanwhile, these three states believe that Algeria is supporting the Islamic militant groups. And the matter came to a head when Algeria shot down a Malian drone. These three Sahel states have termed it a violation of international law, claiming that the drone was within the territory of Male. The three states have recalled their envoys to Algeria, which created a diplomatic breach of a serious kind. It seems that the downing of the drone was a pretext for these countries to snap the ties with the big neighbour to the north. What is interesting is the fact that for nearly a decade and more, Algeria fought a traumatic civil war with the Islamic Salvation Front in the 1990s, in which thousands of Algerians had lost their lives on both sides. But the secular forces in Algeria did not give up, and they had succeeded in keeping the religious forces at bay. Algeria had fought the successor group of Islamic Salvation Front. So, it would seem ironic that Algeria should support Islamic armed rebels in Sahel, as claimed by Burkina Faso, Male and Niger. Algeria had been a deal-maker in the conflict between Male and Tuareg rebel group in the north of Male. It is a border region between Algeria and Male. So, the trigger for the conflict is immediate. According to an assessment of Global Centre for Responsibility to Protect, 2.8 million people have been displaced due to internal conflicts between the armies and the armed Islamic groups, and of them 2.1 million are in Burkina Faso. There is demand from rights groups that military-ruled governments in the region violate human rights through forced arrests, the Islamic insurgent groups target civilian groups. The three governments have formed a military alliance, and they have withdrawn from the Economic Community of West African States in January this year. This has not helped because there are not many other states which could help in resolving conflict situations. There are complaints from international rights groups that the armies in control in these countries violate human rights and target civilians, in the same manner that the armed rebels do.
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Centuries-old Algerian indigenous tradition champions sharing
In a village nestled in the mountains of northeastern Algeria, locals and visitors gathered under a cold winter sky to celebrate Tamechrit, a centuries-old Berber tradition rooted in sharing. Seeking to preserve a practice that faded during the Algerian civil war of the 1990s, villagers marked Tamechrit with Berber music and food on the occasion coinciding in January with the Amazigh new year. The minority community of Berbers refer to themselves as the Amazigh, meaning "free people". They have long fought for recognition for their ancient culture and language in modern states across North Africa. Berbers are descendants of pre-Arab North Africans, whose historic homelands stretched from the Canary Isles and Morocco to the deserts of western Egypt. "We hope to perpetuate this tradition during cultural or religious festivals," bringing together different people from the village and even those who have left, Dahmane Barbacha, a 41-year-old from Ath Atig village, told AFP. Children wore temporary Amazigh face tattoos at the event that dates back to the 13th century, according to historian Saleh Ahmed Baroudi. Tamechrit means "offering" in Tamazight, the community's language recognised as an official language alongside Arabic in Algeria. It represents "an occasion for gathering, fraternity, and reconciliation between families" across Amazigh villages, said Baroudi, who teaches contemporary Algerian history. Different regions of the country use other names for the custom, he added. The merrymaking is also held to observe major Islamic events such as the fasting month of Ramadan, Prophet Mohammed's birthday, and Ashura. It is often held in Zawiyas, small places for worship and religious teaching, usually where a local saint or holy figure lived and was buried. Baroudi said most of those sites are in mountainous regions, adding to the "spiritual dimension" of Tamechrit. - Reconciliation - The festival begins days in advance, when men from the village collect donations to purchase cattle whose meat is later distributed equally among families. During the event a communal meal -- usually couscous prepared by village women -- is served to everyone, regardless of social standing. Ammar Benkherouf, a 36-year-old living in France, said he has been taking annual leaves in recent years to attend the ceremony. "I can't describe the happiness it brings me to help keep this heritage alive," he told AFP. By midday, the communal couscous is served to villagers and visitors while volunteers distribute the portioned meat around the village's households. Tamechrit had also been a tool for fostering solidarity during Algeria's Independence War against French colonial rule from 1954-1962, according to Baroudi. The ritual then faded during the country's civil war between 1992 and 2002, a conflict between authorities and Islamist groups that claimed the lives of around 200,000 after the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) party won municipal and legislative elections. Tamechrit then "made a comeback in the early 2000s" with the end of the civil war, said Baroudi. Today, Tamechrit continues to bring together villagers and resolve conflicts between them. Farhat Medhous, a 31-year-old who heads a cultural association in Ath Atig, said his group now looks to "restore women's participation in these traditions inherited from their ancestors". He said that, traditionally, women held their own gatherings in a separate area from the men's, but their involvement diminished even after the civil war. In addition, he added, the association aims at teaching the younger generations Tamechrit values, meaning sharing and reconciliation. He said this year's festivity was organised by villagers aged 18 to 40. "We have held activities for children to teach them the values of volunteerism and community," said Medhous. "This prepares them to preserve these traditions as they grow older." yb-bur/fka/bou/it
