Algerian expatriates urge Macron to raise issue of human rights during visit to Algiers

Several NGOs and associations of Algerian expatriates have called on French President Emmanuel Macron to raise the issue of deteriorating human rights situation with Algerian leaders during his planned three-day visit to this Maghreban country starting Aug.25.

In a letter signed by 13 Diaspora organizations, including “Action citoyenne pour l’Algérie”, “Collectif des Familles de disparus en Algérie”,“Coordination des Algériens du monde”,“ Debout l’Algérie” and “Groupe Algérie Droit Devant”, the expats voiced hope that the visit would be fruitful for the two countries, calling on the French President not to turn a blind eye to the alarming situation of human rights in Algeria wherein the authorities have arrested nearly ten thousand people since the beginning of the Hirak pro-democracy protests in February 2019.

“The response of the Algerian authorities to the popular aspirations has been an unprecedented repression through a strategy of terror to silence the populations disconnected from the political system in place”, said the Algerian Diaspora organizations.

The visit of Macron to Algeria is expected to reset ties between the two countries after heightened tensions that culminated with the recall of Algerian ambassador to Paris last October following French President’s remarks saying Algeria is under the grip of a “political-military system”, rewriting history and fomenting “hatred towards France”.