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Morocco World
13 minutes ago
- Politics
- Morocco World
France to Tighten Travel Conditions for Algerian Dignitaries
Rabat — French Interior Minister Bruno Retaileau is tightening travel conditions to France for a group of Algerian dignitaries, government spokesperson Sophie Primas said today. AFP quoted the French official saying that the decision comes after Algeria refused to take back 120 nationals who are under an obligation to leave French territory, or QQTF. 'The data we have shows that 20 individuals under QQTF, who have valid documents for returning to Algeria, have not been taken back by the Algerian authorities,' she said after a meeting of the council of ministers. Between March and July 22, dozens of Algerians were sent back to France, according to Le Figaro. 'You may have noticed that the Interior Minister has become increasingly inclined to take stricter measures, particularly regarding Algerian diplomacy,' Primas said, stressing that travel conditions to France will be more difficult for several Algerian dignitaries. She recalled that France is witnessing a power struggle with Algeria, which includes the unanswered demand urging the Algerian regime to release French-Algerian author Boualem Sansal and journalist Christophe Gleizes. Beyond the complex Algeria-France ties, the two countries endured dramatic tensions due to several factors, including Paris' newfound position in support of Morocco's territorial integrity and sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara. In July of last year, France officially recognized Morocco's sovereignty over its southern provinces in the Western Sahara with a letter from President Emmanuel Macron to King Mohammed VI. France's decision was followed by Macron's State visit in October, during which he reiterated the decision in the Moroccan parliament, emphasizing that France's stance was not meant to antagonize any country. Macron's remarks were a direct response to Algeria's ongoing efforts to undermine Morocco's territorial integrity as well as France's support, as the Algerian regime has long backed the Polisario Front and its destabilizing actions against Morocco. The tensions were exacerbated by Algeria's reluctance to receive back nationals subject to deportation orders. Another point of contention is the imprisonment of Sansal, who received a sentence of five years in prison on charges of undermining state security. 'Can a great nation honor itself by keeping someone who is sick and elderly in detention for wrong reasons?' Retailleau said earlier this year.
El Chorouk
2 days ago
- Politics
- El Chorouk
Algerian Foreign Ministry Official Responds to the French Interior Minister
An official source at the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was inquired about the recent statement by French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to Le Figaro newspaper, in which he announced his intention to instruct French prefectures 'not to recognise passports issued by Algerian consulates to Algerian citizens to obtain residence permits.' The source was keen to recall, first, that granting these passports is a right for Algerian citizens and that issuing them is a duty incumbent upon the sovereign Algerian state. Therefore, recognising these passports is a duty imposed upon the French state. The same source considered the French minister's statement to be arbitrary, discriminatory, and an abuse of power, as it explicitly contravenes French law itself. As far as its author is concerned, this statement has a clear political dimension, is also legally unfounded, and is not based on any rule in French law itself. In the same context, the official explained that the passports in question are issued at the request of the French prefectures themselves, as they are indispensable reference documents in applications for residence permits. On this basis, the failure to recognise these passports, as stated by the French Interior Minister, constitutes a violation of individual rights and a further breach of France's bilateral and international obligations.
Daily News Egypt
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily News Egypt
Alarming Advance of Jihadist Groups in Sahel Raises Regional Security Concerns
The Sahel region is witnessing a sharp deterioration in security as jihadist groups expand their influence, overpowering state forces and plunging entire areas into chaos, French newspaper Le Figaro has warned in a recent report. According to the analysis by journalist Jean-Marc Gonin, national armies in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are increasingly losing control over vast territories, while civilian populations continue to bear the brunt of violence in a conflict they are neither responsible for nor equipped to escape. Three years after France ended its counterterrorism Operation Barkhane under mounting pressure from military juntas that seized power in the region, jihadist insurgencies led by al-Qaeda-affiliated Jama'at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) and Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS) have surged. These militant groups are not only challenging the armed forces of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger but are also conducting cross-border raids into neighbouring states such as Benin, posing a growing threat to West African stability. Coordinated Raids and Military Setbacks In the past three months, JNIM launched a wave of attacks in western Mali, including a major offensive near the borders with Senegal and Mauritania. The simultaneous raids targeted seven towns, including the strategic urban centres of Kayes and Nioro, underscoring the group's growing operational capabilities. JNIM's leader, Tuareg commander Iyad Ag Ghaly, is reportedly pursuing control of critical urban hubs and key transportation corridors essential for Mali's access to imported supplies from coastal nations. Although Malian authorities later claimed to have recaptured Kayes, the group succeeded in seizing significant military equipment in the process. Witnesses in the area reported the use of armoured vehicles and, in recent months, the possible deployment of drones by militants—raising alarm over the group's evolving arsenal. Bakary Sambe, regional director of the Timbuktu Institute, described the July 1 attacks as 'well-planned strikes' aimed at disrupting military communication lines and logistics. 'This isolation of Bamako weakens the state's response and gives militants the freedom to launch rapid attacks and withdraw with minimal resistance,' he said. Sahel States Struggle to Push Back Since the withdrawal of French troops in 2022 and the United Nations peacekeeping force in 2023, JNIM has filled the security vacuum, growing in both presence and influence. Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have since formed the Sahel States Alliance (AES) to confront the threat, but despite some localised military gains, the coalition continues to suffer heavy losses. The July 1 attacks underscored the challenges faced by national forces. While some incursions were repelled, several operations resulted in significant casualties among government troops. Observers say the reliance on Russian military support—particularly through the controversial Wagner Group—has further complicated the situation. Wagner operatives, accused of human rights abuses, have exacerbated existing grievances, fueling local anger and inadvertently aiding jihadist recruitment. Deepening Social Divisions The ongoing violence has heightened tensions between herder and farming communities, particularly among the Fulani people, who are spread across the Sahel. Jihadist groups, especially JNIM, have exploited these fault lines to gain loyalty, offering a form of economic stability and protection in exchange for allegiance. Le Figaro noted that jihadists have, over the past three years, strategically positioned themselves as defenders of the Fulani, in contrast to national governments and allied militias accused of targeting the group. One of the mo…
Le Figaro
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Le Figaro
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France 24
14-07-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Right-wing groups in Spain 'hunt down' migrants
"To be free, we must be feared," Macron said on Sunday as he announced that France will increase its defence spending, Le Telegramme reports. The French president added that since the World Wars, "freedom has never been so threatened". While some on the left of the political spectrum denounce the "arms race", the announced effort is approved by seven out of 10 French people, according to a poll by French right-wing paper Le Figaro. "Amid crises, the French endorse their army," reads the headline. The topic of the Bastille Day parade goes hand in hand with the defence talk. The French daily Aujourd'hui en France details the look of the parade: 7,000 men and women, nearly 70 military planes, 35 helicopters and more than 200 horses in the French capital. French conservative paper La Croix focuses on the parade's controversial opening act: " Indonesia in the spotlight, not human rights", reads the title. Indonesia is a big importer of French arms and is this year's guest of honour. But La Croix says that France is turning a blind eye to the massive crimes Indonesia is blamed for. In Spain, several people have been injured after anti-migrant unrest in Torre Pacheco, a town in the southeast of the country, erupted on Friday, The Guardian reports. Tensions started rising last week when a 68-year-old man was reportedly beaten up by three people of North African origin. Spanish daily El País reports that right-wing groups have been trying to "hunt down" migrants. El País spoke to a migrant in Torre Pacheco who was provoked. He says that those who participate in the unrest aren't people from the town, but young people coming from the region, organised and led by right-wing groups on social media. Spanish daily El Mundo writes that 70 percent of Spaniards support deportations of illegal migrants, proposed by Spain's far-right party Vox. The paper says that citizens see migration as a source of inconvenience, rather than a potential opportunity. An editorial in El País says that Vox is "manipulating immigration". According to the paper, the party uses radicalised and xenophobic discourse and even conspiracy theories to justify mass deportations. Immigration is also a big topic in the United States. The Washington Post reports that ICE plans to deport migrants to countries where they aren't even citizens. The "dramatic shift in policy" could mean that thousands of people are sent to countries where they have no family at all and where they don't even speak the language. In some cases, they will be given as little as six hours' notice. The Los Angeles Times looked at data around the ongoing detentions. The daily says that even though Donald Trump has vowed to deport "the worst of the worst", the data shows that the majority of people currently detained by ICE have no criminal convictions, and very few of those who do have committed high-level crimes. The paper says this is "a stark contrast to the chilling nightmare Trump describes". Finally, we bring you a fascinating prison escape story from the eastern French city of Lyon. Left-wing paper Le Monde reports that on Friday, a 20-year-old prisoner managed to escape by hiding in the laundry bag of his fellow inmate, who was being released. He was in prison for criminal conspiracy and organised murder, but the prison administration only figured out that he was missing a whole day later.
