“He embodies everything we cherish: the call for reason, freedom and humanism against censorship, corruption and Islamism,” wrote former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on For his part, Emmanuel Macron says he is “very concerned about the disappearance” of the writer. Several French political leaders, especially belonging to the right and center-right, have also expressed their concern and support for the writer, known for his freedom of thought, whether against the Algerian power or religious fundamentalism, since that he launched into literature in 1999.
The 75-year-old author, who obtained French nationality this year, was arrested on Saturday at Algiers airport, coming from France, several French media reported. The reasons for his arrest are not known. According to the weekly Marianne, he “no longer gave any news to his loved ones since his arrival in Algiers”.
An author critical of political and religious power in Algeria
Born October 15, 1949, Boualem Sansal came from a wealthy family allowing him to pursue higher education with engineering training from the National Polytechnic School of Algiers and a doctorate in economics. He held senior civil servant positions in Algeria, notably as Director General of Industry, before being forced to resign.
He decided to start writing in 1997, in the middle of the Algerian civil war. In 1999, he published his first novel, “The Oath of the Barbarians” in which he attempted to explain the rise of Islamism and the political impasse in his country. Very critical of the government which he considers corrupt, authoritarian and lenient with Islamists, several of his works will be censored in Algeria, such as “Poste Restante, Algiers” or even “The German Village”.
Boualem Sansal has always refused to go into exile in France or Germany despite the risks they faced in his country. Often nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, he notably received the Grand Prix du roman from the French Academy in 2015 for his novel “2084: The End of the World”, a dystopian work inspired by “1984” by George Orwell.
According to RFI, his arrest is linked to recent statements made to the far-right French media Borders : “When France colonized Algeria, the entire western part of Algeria was part of Morocco: Tlemcem, Oran and even as far as Mascara. This entire region was part of the kingdom. “. A declaration which comes in a tense diplomatic context between France and Algeria, after Paris' support for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the disputed territory of Western Sahara at the end of July.
