In Algeria, Generals Are the State – Writer-journalist –

The writer-journalist Talaâ Saoud Al Atlassi stresses that the Algerian generals are now acting openly, posing in full view of everyone as the real holders of power. In his weekly column, published Wednesday on the news website “Machahid 24” under the evocative title “Alas, there is not among the leaders of Algeria a reasonable man”, he notes that the Algerian generals do not even bother to hide and act discreetly because they are the state. He adds that the Algerian generals exercise in broad daylight inside the country their full powers against the popular movement “Hirak” and the popular protest in Kabylia, in order to spread terror among the ranks of the opposition that is growing. Externally, they act in such a way as to assert the centrality of the army in Algeria’s foreign policy and its determination to exercise the “right of veto” against all international actions that do not please the generals. This resembles the methods of criminal gangs, he notes, before adding that these generals have considered the position of Spain in favor of the Moroccan cause and its determination to strengthen its relations with Morocco as “a betrayal” going so far as to freeze the Algerian-Spanish treaty of friendship and good neighborliness and to stop trade with Spain without worrying in the least about the interests of Algeria and the Algerians. Consequence: “the generals of Algiers are now in a deadlock, being unable to bring Spain to return on its decision and even less to face it”, he underlines, noting that “Spain does not give them any consideration, being quite the contrary resolutely committed to strengthen its relations with Morocco as evidenced by the organization currently in Dakhla of the Moroccan-Spanish Business Forum on investment”. For this specialist on Algeria, the Algerian generals risk losing their minds by noting that each time their anger rises against Spain, Spanish-Moroccan relations develop further in all areas and this, thanks to structuring and long-term projects, especially in the Moroccan Sahara. He refers, in this regard, to the last Council of Ministers in Algeria, held last Sunday, where once again the generals appear publicly as the real holders of power, while the president of the republic indulges in his minor role of giving advice to the government. He notes in this regard that the draft law on reservists was adopted without discussion in the Council of Ministers without the president intervening, because he is prohibited from doing so, illustrating the exception that confirms the rule of the generals’ omnipotence. While mentioning the glaring deficiencies in the management of public affairs in Algeria, the lack of patriotism especially among the younger generations and also the absence of any strategy to upgrade and rescue the country, the columnist stresses that a schizophrenic country like Algeria is unable to meet the challenges posed. And for good reason, the hostility towards Morocco prevents Algerian leaders from being interested in the management of the country, he explains, adding that what interests Algerian generals is primarily their personal enrichment, which further strengthens the militarization of the country and their power. Talaâ Saoud Al Atlassi also notes that “the Algerian generals have cut all the bridges of dialogue with Morocco for the simple reason that the Kingdom has presented a bold, fair and realistic proposal to settle definitively the conflict over the Moroccan Sahara, which proposal is now well established in the international political culture in view of the support it has attracted”. He concludes that “the international pressure on the Algerian generals will go crescendo. On the other hand, the adherence of the international community to the peaceful Moroccan proposal will be further strengthened, which will not be to the liking of these generals who prefer to maneuver in troubled waters instead of making the reasonable choice of peace”.