Algeria’s Tebboune indulges in ‘alternative facts’

The civilian façade of Algeria’s military regime, President Abdelmedjid Tebboune indulged in a new series of alternative facts during an interview with French paper L’Opinion, during which he practices Algeria’s favourite sports: conspiracy theories, blame shifting and fake news.

Amid a brewing crisis with France, Tebboune mired himself in contradiction saying that Algeria will admit 306 nationals that Trump administration plans to expel. Meanwhile Algeria rejects its own nationals charged with criminal acts in France.

Algeria has been using migration to pressure France to backtrack from its sovereign decision by which it recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara territory.

Tebboune accused Morocco of hostile acts, without offering whatsoever evidence, saying Morocco conducts military exercises with Israel.

Tebboune threatened to offer the Polisario separatists more arms, while at the same time accusing Morocco of violating neighborliness.

The Moroccan people, whom he described as “brotherly”, is the same people he unilaterally imposed visa requirements on, further complicating the lives of many families.

Tebboune kept contradicting himself saying Algeria was not isolated, while speaking of tense ties with France and its immediate neighbors Morocco and Mali, which has frequently accused Algiers of backing terrorist groups.

On Russia, he admitted that Algeria is at odds with Moscow over the expanded activities of Wagner group.