'Algeria will never compromise on dignity, accept interference in internal affairs'

ROME

Algeria will not tolerate any interference in its internal affairs, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday, slamming the French president’s recent remarks about Algeria’s colonial past as a “big mistake.”

“All our partners, in particular France, must understand that Algeria cannot compromise its dignity for cooperation, and Algeria cannot accept any interference in its internal affairs, let alone the kind of questioning of the very existence of our nation before the French colonial domination of our country,” Ramtane Lamamra said in an interview with Anadolu Agency in Rome.

He asserted that Algeria has responded “very strongly and very firmly” to Emmanuel Macron’s “unacceptable” comments.

Macron stoked tensions with Algiers, and even Turkey, during a recent meeting with descendants of Algerians who fought on France’s side during Algeria’s fight for independence.

As part of France’s persistent efforts to palliate its atrocious colonial past, Macron claimed that “there was colonization before the French colonial rule” in Algeria, alluding to the Ottoman presence in the country between 1514 and 1830.

“The building of Algeria as a nation is a phenomenon worth watching. Was there an Algerian nation before French colonization? That is the question,” the French president said.

Algeria was swift to strongly condemn the remarks, going on to recall its ambassador and closing its airspace to French military planes.

Lamamra stressed that Algeria and its people are “uniquely qualified … to collectively defend our independence, our sovereignty in the face of what we consider a big mistake on the part of French authorities.”

“As far as we are concerned, the rules are very clear. Whatever falls within the full respect of our independence, our sovereignty, our legitimate rights, we are ready to work in that particular parameter,” he said.

“Whatever is an exception to the norms of international relations, we are ready to fight it back.”

Ties with Turkey

Lamamra said relations between Algeria and Turkey are “deeply rooted in our shared history” and the two countries have “very strong spiritual links.”

“We also share aspirations for a better future. Turkey has invested a lot in economic development and partnership (with Algeria),” he said.

He added that Turkey has been very successful in contributing to the development of Algeria.

“We are looking to forward to more partnerships and more Turkish investments in Algeria,” the foreign minister said.

“We stand for diversification of the partnership. It has to be a forward-looking partnership and should encompass all areas of life.”

On the issue of Libya, Lamamra asserted that Algeria is ready to assist the Libyan people in any way possible to forge a democratic future.

“We put at the disposal of our Libyan brothers our experience, our resources, our means, in particular when it comes to the organization and conduct of proper electoral processes,” he said.

He acknowledged Turkey as an “important player” that has “very strong relations” with Libya.

“We hope that all actors will now look at the future and help the Libyans to get together to overcome a number of disputes and build a common future without any external intervention and interference in their domestic affairs,” Lamamra said.

“We all appeal to the Libyan leaders and stakeholders to consider that after no less than 10 years of deep crisis, the time has come for them to open a new chapter in their history.”

French colonialism in Algeria

Algeria represents the most recent and bloodiest example of France's colonial history on the African continent.

Approximately 1.5 million Algerians were killed and millions more displaced in an eight-year struggle for independence that started in 1954.

France has also committed a cultural genocide against Algeria since 1830, destroying Algeria’s 300-year-old Ottoman history and its own local identity, and also transforming many cultural and religious monuments in the country.

Paris has never officially apologized to Algeria as a state for its colonial policies.