Algerian Prime Minister, Aïmene Benabderrahmane, representing Algerian President, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, at the 36th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), held from February 15 to 20 in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), announced an amount of one billion US dollars for the financing of development projects in African countries.
This fund should be made available to the Algerian Agency for International Cooperation for Solidarity and Development, which “will initiate the procedures for the execution of this strategic initiative in coordination with the African countries wishing to benefit from it”.
This initiative is commendable as long as we ignore the real motivations of the Algerian authorities. Indeed, the surprise is great when we learn, through the digital media Maghreb Intelligence, that the Algerian Presidency would have drawn up, unofficially, “a list of African countries which will be targeted as a priority within the framework of the program of the development aid financed to the tune of 1 billion dollars by the Algerian State”.
According to the same source, the countries targeted would be those which support or recognize “the Polisario”, including Mali, Angola, Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda or even Zimbabwe.
The objective pursued would be to retain these “friendly” States of the “Polisario”.
Based on certain sources, the media also informs that “the Algerian Presidency has officially instructed the Algerian ambassadors in these countries to begin talks which will identify their concrete needs in terms of local development. The funding will then be fixed and released from Algiers before being transferred to these ‘friendly’ countries according to several financial or economic parameters determined by regional geopolitical developments around “the question of so-called Western Sahara.
Is this the same investment announced at the Summit?
If so, then why make an announcement with great fanfare, in front of the participants at the 36th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU), if funding is only reserved for those who meet the interests of Algiers and its protege the Polisario?
This non-event illustrates well the intentions of corruption of the States by the Algerian regime which hides behind the actions presented as philanthropic.
But will this fuss bring the expected results? Not so sure !
Several observers and experts note that the “rasd” and its armed militia of the Polisario Front, do not register any progress in their diplomatic battle and even less in what they claim to be their armed struggle.
The generals in command in Algiers would do better to pay attention to the cries of distress of the Algerians who are demanding more democracy, more freedom and above all more foodstuffs on this eve of Ramadan, than to want to monetize support for a “phantom state called rasd” which was broken into the African institution thanks to the petrodollars of the Algerian regime and whose presence within the AU continues to be perceived as a shame for Africa.
By OMA Newsletter N° 1068 of 01/03/2023
Article published under the direction of Dr. Najib Kettani
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
For the development of cultural exchanges
Valuing human potential
The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
Inter-African integration
