The term, much commented on, is released in the media, from Europe 1 to AFP. Algeria is reportedly delivering a “hybrid warfare” against France, assures Chawki Benzehra, Algerian opponent in exile and whistleblower behind the arrest of two of his compatriots for inciting hatred on the Internet. “Imad Tintin” and “Zazou Youcef”, like four other influencers arrested in recent days, called in videos broadcast on TikTok to commit atrocities.
The first, arrested Friday evening in Échirolles, near Grenoble, invited “burn alive, kill and rape on French soil”. The second will be tried on February 24 by the Brest criminal court for “public apology for an act of terrorism”.
“Sleeping Soldiers”
Certain comments from these influencers suggest that they are on official duty. One of the three Franco-Algerian influencers from the Lyon region arrested on Monday January 6, Laksas06, for his part, took up an audio from another Franco-Algerian on December 11 in which he presents members of the Algerian diaspora in France as of the “sleeping soldiers” ready to die for Algeria in « martyrs ».
Are these calls for violence organized by Algeria? “There is no proof, but it still looks a lot like it, if we compare these methods with those practiced by others: China, Russia, Iran, Turkey… We find this same warlike atmosphere and this nationalist exaltation “, estimates Pierre Vermeren, university professor at Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne.
In the eyes of the researcher, Algiers would have many reasons to join this club of aggressive countries. “President Tebboune was elected by very few Algerians, and Algiers finds itself isolated as the last Arab Socialist Republic. The Algerian authorities can no longer count on Damascus, and watched dumbfounded as the fall of the Bashar Al Assad regime in a few days. »
Against a backdrop of verbal escalation
Alger did not seek to distance himself from the influencers to clarify the situation. Normal, believes Hasni Abidi, Algerian and Swiss political scientist, director of the Center for Studies and Research on the Arab and Mediterranean World (Cermam) in Geneva. “France has enough legislation and judicial personnel to convict these individuals without Algeria having to do it for it”he believes. For him, the thesis of a “hybrid war” makes no sense. “Nothing supports this thesis: Algeria has no interest in alienating Europe, its main market. But it is true that each day that passes takes us a little further away from peace. »
-The verbal escalation observed in recent weeks on both sides of the Mediterranean continued, around the change of year, to the point of insults. On December 29 before Parliament, President Tebboune for the first time addressed the case of the Franco-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal, detained since mid-November for endangering state security. He presented the latter as a “traitor” sent by France. The Algerian head of state could not help but shoot an arrow in the direction of the former colonizer: “They claim civilization, and at the same time take pride in stealing skulls as loot. »
Opinions held hostage
In response, a week later, the foreign minister issued “doubts” on Algiers' desire to respect the road map of Franco-Algerian bilateral relations. And this Monday, January 6, in front of the French ambassadors gathered at the Élysée, President Macron estimated that Algeria was entering “in a story that dishonors her” by refusing the release of Boualem Sansal, thus preventing “a man seriously ill to take care of himself”.
This acrimonious escalation finds its trigger in the French president's choice to deepen, from last July, France's support for Moroccan proposals on the contested territory of Western Sahara. The Algerian ambassador in Paris was recalled. This before Emmanuel Macron joins Rabat in October, for a three-day official visit to the enemy neighbor.
“And to think that this summer again, we were considering the state visit to France ofAbdelmadjid Tebbounefirst Algerian president who did not experience the war of independenceregrets Hasni Abidi. This rapid deterioration of diplomatic ties worries me a lot, because it carries with it opinions, civil society should not be taken to task in this way. » The expert on the Arab world calls for the voices of reason to prevail, why not through former Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin, formerly responsible for warming up the relationship, just before it took a turn for the worse sour.
