Algeria closes its airspace to French military aviation

SANAA, Oct. 03 (YPA) – Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune decided to close Algerian airspace to all French military aircraft bound for the Sahel region as part of Operation Barkhane, The Russia Today Channel  reported.

The channel pointed out that the crossing of French military aircraft into the Sahel region through Algerian airspace is “a privilege granted to France since the reign of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and has been valid for 4 years.”

The sources added that “this decision will have serious consequences for French military operations and will correct a strategic mistake made by the former president”, and will lead to “a slowdown in Franco-Algerian military cooperation in the coming weeks.”

This decision comes after controversial statements attributed to French President Emmanuel Macron, who described Algeria as meddling in its internal affairs.

The French newspaper “Le Monde” published statements by President Macron, in which he said that his Algerian colleague, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, is “stuck in a very difficult regime”.

In his statements, Macron also referred to France’s historical past in Algeria, pointing out that he wanted to rewrite Algerian history in both Arabic and Berber: “to expose the falsification of facts by the Turks who are rewriting history.” bring.”

The French president also questioned the existence of an “Algerian nation before French colonialism”, stressing the need to address this issue in order to achieve “reconciliation between peoples”.

E.M