Latest news with #L'Express
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.
Morocco World
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Morocco World
Algerian Spy Ring Behind Amir DZ Kidnapping Exposed
Doha – France's anti-terrorism authorities have uncovered a complex Algerian intelligence operation on French soil. Four more suspects were indicted Friday in the kidnapping of Algerian opposition figure Amir Boukhors, known as Amir DZ. According to exclusive revelations by L'Express, French investigators have identified three Algerian spies who allegedly orchestrated the operation. The French magazine, citing two sources close to the case, reported that local criminals from Pontault-Combault were hired to execute the abduction. The opposition influencer was kidnapped on April 29, 2024, near his home in Val-de-Marne. A commando team posing as police officers intercepted him around 11:30 p.m. They transported him to a waste disposal site in Pontault-Combault where four additional accomplices were waiting. Boukhors was forcibly drugged with Zopiclone, a powerful sedative found later in his bloodstream. He woke up in a prefabricated building around 10 a.m. the next morning, guarded by two women who had been paid €1,000 each. An anti-terrorism French judge's investigation reveals a shocking conclusion. The kidnapping aimed to forcibly transfer the influencer to Algeria via Spain, where a 20-year prison sentence awaited him. This mirrors the attempted abduction of dissident Hichem Aboud on October 17, 2024, in Barcelona. Three-tier operation structure Investigators from France's DGSI (internal intelligence) and the Paris criminal brigade believe three types of actors participated in this extraordinary operation: Algerian officials, intermediaries, and hired muscle. The scheme was carefully structured to avoid direct links between Algerian authorities and the kidnappers. In addition to S.R., an Algerian consular agent already in custody, two Algerian diplomats played key roles. According to police, they are actually a non-commissioned officer and an officer of the DGDSE, Algeria's foreign intelligence services. S.S. worked at the Algerian embassy in Paris under diplomatic cover as first secretary. He is suspected of actively participating by surveilling Amir Boukhors multiple times. His phone pinged near the influencer's car when a tracking device was likely installed. The money trail provides damning evidence. On the night of April 29-30, S.S. withdrew €2,000 from an ATM in eastern Paris at 2:19 a.m.—exactly matching the amount promised to the two 'guards,' according to Boukhors' police statements. Telephone location data places the suspects at strategic locations. The two officials' phones pinged at the Créteil consulate, along with K.S.M. and S.L., two men with criminal records now indicted and imprisoned alongside the consular agent. Later that night, several suspects' phones registered near the Pontault-Combault waste site. Recruited criminals and escape Among the newly indicted men, at least one belongs to the Romani community of Pontault-Combault. Amir Boukhors formally identified him as the man who handcuffed him on the night of the abduction. These 'muscle men' reportedly acted not out of ideology but for substantial payment. Boukhors was eventually released in a forest during the night of April 30 to May 1. Hours after the influencer's release, S.R. boarded a flight from Orly to Algiers. When he returned to France in April 2025, investigators arrested him after noticing he had once again approached Boukhors' residence. Diplomatic espionage network The investigation has exposed a broader intelligence operation. H.B., deputy consul in Créteil, allegedly recruited and manipulated two French civil servants at the Ministry of Finance and the French Immigration Office (OFII) to obtain addresses of Algerian political refugees in France, including Amir Boukhors. The Finance Ministry official, previously awarded the internal security medal in 2017, was initially recruited through 'friendship' before being subjected to blackmail. This official then convinced a department head at OFII to collaborate with Algerian intelligence services. Legal actions and diplomatic crisis The French judge has qualified the operation as an 'association of terrorist criminals.' According to the investigating judge, the kidnapping aimed to send an intimidation message to all Algerian opposition figures. Attorney Eric Plouvier, representing Amir DZ, has requested an international arrest warrant against S.S. from the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT). The two diplomats implicated as intelligence officers reportedly left France months ago. The arrests have intensified the diplomatic crisis between Paris and Algiers. Denying any involvement in Amir DZ's kidnapping, the Tebboune regime retaliated by expelling 12 French agents from Algeria. France applied the same measure in return. The crisis escalated further when Algeria demanded the immediate repatriation of fifteen additional French agents on Sunday, May 11. Ongoing investigation Several aspects of the case remain unresolved. At least four commando members have not yet been arrested. A source close to the case claims one of the 'muscle men' has previously been convicted of homicide. The investigation raises a troubling question: how high in the Algerian power structure was this 'terrorist' operation approved? In September 2024, General Rochdi Fethi Moussaoui, who was DGDSE station chief in Paris at the time of the events, was promoted to DGDSE director in Algiers by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune. He has since maintained he 'was not aware' of the unprecedented aggression. This case lays bare the ruthless and brazen infiltration of Algerian intelligence services deep into French territory, sending shockwaves through diplomatic circles and exposing the regime's relentless pursuit of silencing critics at any cost. The shocking operation shows Algeria's desperate willingness to violate international law, sovereign borders, and diplomatic protocols in its vicious campaign to crush opposition voices, no matter where they seek refuge. This flagrant state-sponsored terrorism demonstrates the Algerian regime's paranoid obsession with eliminating dissent, weaponizing diplomatic missions as fronts for violent abductions, and trampling on France's national security with complete disregard for consequences—a stark warning that no political exile is beyond the reach of Algiers' vindictive grasp.
El Chorouk
04-05-2025
- Politics
- El Chorouk
French Media Fabricates Scenarios to Justify Diplomatic Setback
After the relative decline in remarks by some Algeria-obsessed far-right figures in France, including politicians and media outlets, following the exchange of diplomats between Algeria and Paris, other, less extreme outlets are emerging, indicating a hidden war, implicitly holding Algeria responsible for the deterioration of bilateral relations. In this regard, the weekly L'Express published a report in its latest issue titled 'France-Algeria: The spy war,' in which it attempted to accuse Algeria of committing illegal acts on French soil by targeting dissidents. This attempt is intended to justify the crisis engulfing the two countries, which has profoundly impacted a large portion of the French political class, who views Algeria as a vital area of influence in North Africa and a gateway to the continent. The French media often contributes to fueling political and diplomatic tension with Algeria. This role was played in a repulsive manner before the rift occurred, through the incitement operation attributed to prominent far-right figures or those who advocated for far-right views and orientations, such as the former French ambassador to Algeria, Xavier Driencourt, who only retreated from the spotlight after contributing to the destruction of bilateral relations. In this file, replete with events that Algeria had previously disavowed, L'Express claimed to have documented some questionable incidents and, based on unidentified sources, attributed responsibility to the Algerian side. This comes at a time when many approaches point to the involvement of a third party, which aimed to undermine and destroy relations between Algeria and Paris. The magazine wanted to convey to the public that the Algerian consular official, who was arrested in a showy manner on a French street, was connected to the alleged incident involving a fugitive from Algerian justice who enjoys French protection. This was a desperate attempt to absolve French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau of responsibility for destroying the rapprochement that had just taken place between the two countries' presidents, Abdelmadjid Tebboune and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. Many observers in both countries agree that Bruno Retailleau, from his position as the senior official in charge of the French General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI), orchestrated the kidnapping of the Algerian consular employee in Paris in a showy manner, outside diplomatic norms, bilateral agreements, and the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations. Retailleau's goal was to undermine Macron's appeasement option and, in return, impose his approach to managing the crisis with Algeria. What is particularly repulsive about this situation is that he exploited relations with Algeria as an electoral card for his party's leadership race at 'The Republicans, LR' in anticipation of the French 2027 presidential elections. It is well known that this incident triggered a violent Algerian reaction, culminating in the decision to expel 12 consular officials working at the French Embassy in Algeria, an unprecedented incident in the history of bilateral relations. This decision was followed by a similar one, but was also followed by the recall of the French ambassador, Stéphane Romatet, who may have received the order with great relief, given his frequent visits to the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey the authorities' anger at his country's relentless provocations. There is no doubt that a crisis of this severity represents a setback for French diplomacy. Many analysts think that the scenarios being propagated by French media represent a desperate attempt to evade responsibility for the destruction of bilateral relations and place the blame squarely on Algeria.
Yahoo
23-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
"Novorossiya" ideologist claims Russia has no borders and will expand in all directions
Vladislav Surkov, former adviser to Kremlin ruler Putin and chief ideologist of the "Novorossiya" project, which aims to annex southeastern Ukraine and Crimea, has stated that the ideology of the Russian World (Russkiy Mir) "has no borders", meaning Russia will continue to expand its influence in all directions. Source: ISW Details: Surkov, known as the ideologist behind the "Novorossiya" project, voiced Russia's expanded imperial ambitions in an interview with the French weekly L'Express. He claimed that the ideology of the Russian world "has no borders" and exists "everywhere there is Russian influence". Surkov also stated that Russia would achieve this strategic goal, which he claimed had remained unchanged since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, despite potential "manoeuvres, slowdowns and pauses" along the way. Surkov said that bringing Ukraine back into Russia's sphere of influence had been an objective since the collapse of the Soviet Union, referring to Ukraine as an "artificial political entity". Surkov believes that the Russo-Ukrainian war will "separate the Russians and the anti-Russians" and "confine" the latter within their "historical territory" so they "stop spreading across Russian soil". When asked about Russia's borders, Surkov claimed that the ideology of the Russian World has no limits and exists "everywhere there is Russian influence" – be it cultural, military, economic, ideological or humanitarian. He stated that Russia "will spread out in all directions". Analysts emphasise that the Kremlin has repeatedly used the concept of the Russian World to justify military interventions in former Soviet republics, arguing that the territories of the former USSR and Russian Empire are historically Russian lands. Quote: "The Kremlin has used the 'Russkiy Mir' narrative for decades to justify Russian aggression in Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova and to set conditions to influence independent countries once colonised by the Soviet Union and the Russian Empire. Putin and other senior Russian officials have repeatedly propagated pseudo-history to deny Ukrainian statehood and nationhood and have falsely asserted that Ukraine's Western neighbours have legitimate claims to Ukrainian territory in an effort to sow division between Ukraine and Europe." To quote the ISW's Key Takeaways on 22 March: US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff uncritically amplified a number of Russian demands, claims and justifications regarding the war in Ukraine during an interview on 21 March. Vladislav Surkov, a former close adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, recently reiterated a number of longstanding Kremlin claims and ambitions that directly contradict Witkoff's assertions in an interview with French media aimed at Western audiences. [N.B. Ukrainska Pravda does not recognise Putin as president – ed.] Surkov's statements are consistent with those made by Putin and senior Russian officials, who have recently and repeatedly stated that Russia intends to bring Ukraine under Russian control and establish suzerainty over neighbouring countries in order to weaken the West and strengthen Russia's global influence. Witkoff uncritically repeated several inaccurate Russian claims regarding the status of the Ukrainian territories that Russia illegally occupies. Witkoff's statements undermine US President Donald Trump's stated desired end state for the war in Ukraine that achieves an enduring peace and is in the best interests of the United States, Ukraine and Europe. Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk, and Russian forces recently advanced near Siversk and Pokrovsk and in western Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The Kremlin continues to innovate new ways to leverage conscripts to increase the pool of servicemembers eligible for military service in the future. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Al Jazeera
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
‘Tug of war': Chagos Islands deal tearing families apart in Mauritius
Slam poet Geraldine Baptiste pulls no punches when telling the story of her 'Granpapa', one of the 1,500-plus people ripped from a peaceful existence on the Chagos Islands by the British to make way for a United States military base, most shipped 'kouma zanimo' (meaning 'like animals' in her native Creole) to a hellish fate more than 1,000 miles (1,610km) across the Indian Ocean in Mauritius. Belting out her poems in the Port Louis suburbs, the 26-year-old relates her grandfather's memories of fishing in the crystalline waters of Peros Banhos atoll and feasting by firelight on 'seraz pwason' (fish curry) and 'kalou' moonshine, contrasting happy times with the horrors of his violent expulsion in the early 1970s and the decades of impoverished exile that followed – many did not survive. 'Pena okenn antidot; Pou geri sa blesir; Ki ankor pe soupire,' she says – there is no cure for those wounds, still weeping more than half a century on. That line hits especially hard right now, as Mauritius prepares to assume sovereignty over the 60-island Chagos archipelago after vanquishing the United Kingdom in a landmark decolonisation case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) six years ago. The nation is on a knife edge as it awaits the final nod from the US, which wants cast-iron guarantees on the security of one of its most valuable bases on the atoll of Diego Garcia. Mauritius has been intent on reclaiming Chagos for decades, having been strong-armed by the UK into selling the jointly administered colonial territory for 3 million pounds in exchange for its independence in 1968. The ICJ victory is further sweetened by the promise of billions of pounds that the UK will reportedly pay in rent and back rent for Diego Garcia under a lease arrangement spanning 99 years. In a bid to heal past wounds, Mauritius will manage a trust fund for Chagossians, allowing them to resettle on two of the Chagos Islands – Salomon and Peros Banhos. But the islanders, some with roots on the territory stretching back to the 18th century, were locked out of the interstate talks. And, as Baptiste describes it, local families have been torn apart by rows over whether they should accept Mauritian sovereignty over their homeland. 'It's like being in a tug of war between two sides that are killing each other,' says Baptiste. 'We're already a tiny community. It makes me so sad.' Sidelined Karen Walter, deputy editor-in-chief of Mauritius's L'Express newspaper, has followed the twists and turns of the bilateral negotiations in recent years, noting that the views of the estimated 10,000 Chagossians now scattered across the UK, Mauritius and the Seychelles 'have not counted for much'. The sidelining of Chagossians was apparent during last year's election, held 10 days after the UK and Mauritius announced they had reached a political agreement on the transfer. Former Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth hit the campaign trail running, trumpeting 'billions of rupees' in annual rent for Diego Garcia and opportunities to build hotels on the archipelago – but many noted he made no mention of Chagossians. Jugnauth has since been replaced by Navin Ramgoolam, who condemned his predecessor's draft deal with the UK as a 'sellout'. Last Tuesday, Ramgoolam told the Mauritian parliament that his new team had renegotiated an 'inflation-proof' draft, featuring an undisclosed 'front-loaded' payment. Crucially for Mauritius, the new terms appear to give it veto powers over future extensions of the 99-year lease arrangement for Diego Garcia. Ramgoolam said he was 'confident' everything would be finalised 'in the coming weeks'. Though with US President Donald Trump yet to weigh in, as hawkish right-wingers whip up a transatlantic panic about Mauritius opening the door to Chinese spies (even if 'Little India', as Mauritius is sometimes called because of its large Indian-origin population, is far closer to New Delhi than it has ever been to Beijing), the deal still hangs in the balance. Ramgoolam kick-started the legal drive for sovereignty after WikiLeaks published a US diplomatic cable in 2010, exposing a British scheme to establish a marine-protected zone in Chagos that was aimed at greenwashing the ban on Indigenous islanders – or 'Man Fridays', as they were called by one official – returning home. From then on, the two causes of Mauritian sovereignty over Chagos and the Chagossian struggle for justice were twinned. The country's eventual victory at the ICJ may have been predicated on the UK's botched decolonisation of Mauritius, but Chagossians provided the knockout emotional punch. Peros Banhos native Liseby Elyse testified over a videolink, telling the stunned court how she had been crammed onto the eviction ship while four months pregnant and had lost her baby on arrival in Mauritius, swinging international opinion in favour of Mauritius. Mauritian lawyer Robin Mardemootoo, who has long represented the community, says Mauritius owes its victory at the ICJ to Chagossians. Having 'surfed the waves' of the Chagossian struggle, Mauritius now has 'a golden opportunity' to do things the right way and should insist they have a place at the table, he says. Apart from anything else, Chagossians are best placed to hold the UK and US feet to the fire, particularly when it comes to proper reparations for the wrongs committed by both countries and the costs of the planned resettlement programme, a mammoth project involving the construction of infrastructure, institutions and housing on islands untouched for half a century. Mauritius does not have the means, says Mardemootoo. 'If Mauritius is not smart about this, it is going to inherit a bunch of islands with no means to rehabilitate them. And this is going to drag on and come back and haunt them,' he says. Time running out Olivier Bancoult, leader of the Chagos Refugees Group (CRG), solicited Mardemootoo's help in his long battle to win a right of return in the English courts. He secured a landmark victory at the High Court in London in 2000, but the ruling was overturned with new legislation four years later amid the panic over the 9/11 attacks in the US. Having reached a legal dead end in the UK, the 60-year-old Peros Banhos native opted to back Mauritian sovereignty. Though his group has been excluded from talks, he says he has received regular briefings from the previous and current prime ministers, with discussions including Chagossian participation in regional governance. 'They will offer resettlement. How could I oppose that even if it is not 100 percent satisfactory?' he says, speaking from his group's headquarters in Pointe aux Sables. He believes that time is running out for first-generation Chagossians like himself to achieve justice – the youngest is now 52, while the oldest is nudging 100. 'They are just hoping to have their dream realised,' he says. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Claudette Lefade, leader of Chagos Asylum People (CAP), wants Trump to sink the deal. She is fighting for Chagossian self-determination under the British flag – even if the former colonial power has repeatedly let down the community. Lefade, also born in Peros Banhos, sees the trust fund that Mauritius is supposed to manage under the deal as a British ruse to avoid paying proper reparations. The UK already has form on that front, having failed to deliver on a 2016 promise to distribute 40 million pounds ($49.7m) to Chagossians around the world. But she suspects Chagossians will fare even worse under Mauritian rule, harking to alleged mismanagement of previous funds sent by the UK in 1972 and 1982, which resulted in tardy, meagre payouts. Given the lack of transparency in relation to the handover, she also fears groups that are not close to the government may find themselves out in the cold when it comes to the resettlement and trust fund schemes. Exodus A recent report by L'Express covered the grinding poverty experienced by Chagossians in the coastal village of Baie-du-Tombeau, where some still live in 'lakaz tol' – corrugated iron houses. 'The poverty is glaring, some manage to make ends meet, but some don't,' says Walter. On the street, people speak of an 'exodus', as struggling Chagossians rush to take the UK up on its offer of citizenship for all native-born Chagossians and their descendants – belatedly granted in 2022. Lefade says two groups totalling 100 will leave next month. Overall figures on departures are not available, but authorities in the town of Crawley in the UK, home to a 3,500-strong Chagossian community, reported a 'marked increase' in new arrivals last year. Baptiste keeps getting messages from fellow Chagossians asking for help with applications. England may be considered the 'bouro' – the torturer – for its mass deportation of her people, described by rights groups as a 'crime against humanity', but she has witnessed 'young people and even families with children' leaving in a bid to better their lot. Though she has no plans to leave Mauritius, she gets it. Her own 'Granpapa', 70-year-old Roselin Permal, would be 'six feet under' had he not left for Crawley some 15 years ago to get an operation on his heart, she says. Right now, her younger sister is looking to join him. Jamel Colin, a 46-year-old mime artist, is currently applying for British citizenship for himself and his 12-year-old daughter, seeing the UK as a better stepping stone to self-determination than Mauritius. He hopes the UK's lease on Diego Garcia will enable Chagossians to gain a foothold in their ancestral territory, where they can then stake a sovereignty claim as an Indigenous people. 'I was born in exile, but I know where I come from and who I am,' he says. However, the CRG's Bancoult warns that the quest for justice will get harder as the first generation of native islanders dies out. 'It's more powerful when Chagossian natives are talking about what wrong was done to them and what [governments] need to do to correct it,' he says. He thinks younger Chagossians looking to the UK for a solution are making a mistake. 'The UK government will say: 'You are not stateless. You were born in Mauritius. You were born in the UK.' 'They will say: 'We don't have to deal with you.''
