In the name of Allah, the most gracious, the most merciful
And prayers and peace be upon His Prophet
Your Excellency the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Algeria,
Excellencies Ambassadors and Heads of diplomatic missions accredited to Algeria,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Honorable guests,
We are gathered today on the OUA’s 60th anniversary to renew our Pact covenant with the founding Fathers to preserve their precious legacy and what abounds in it in terms of unwavering pledges and firm commitments to achieve the goals of complete liberation, sustainable security and shared prosperity throughout Africa.
We are gathered today to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this precious milestone, 60 years during which our unitary and civilized endeavor has witnessed remarkable progress thanks to the genuine efforts of successive generations of loyal pioneers who believed that there is no dream for Africa unless it emanates from its own imagination; and that there is no destiny for Africa unless it is the result of its own conception; and that there is no project for Africa unless it is the outcome of its own planning and implementation; and that there is no straight path for Africa to follow unless it is built and paved by the arms of its own daughters and sons.
And we are gathered today in a moment of reflection, evaluation and introspection, in which we look at the past, not out of the logic of heartbreak or regret for what we have missed or what we have been compelled to miss, but rather for the sake of drawing lessons and teachings to follow so as to collectively achieve a comprehensive African leap through which our continent will rise to the its rightful place in the concert of Nations as a prominent center of international decision-making.
Today, as we celebrate our common achievements in the areas of promoting peace and security and stimulating economic integration in the context of the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area which is the AU’s theme of the year, we should not forget that our sisters and brothers in the last African colony, precisely in Western Sahara, are waiting for our support and backing for them to exercise their inalienable and imprescriptible right to self-determination. Then and only then, Africa can, once and for all, turn definitely the last page of the history of abhorrent colonialism, disgraceful occupation and shameful plundering of its wealth.
The Sahrawi people who are longing for liberation and emancipation, like other African peoples who before them have achieved their freedom and independence, are calling for our help, and we cannot ignore their plea, they are asking for justice and we cannot deny them that, they are seeking for a helping hand to put an end to injustice, oppression, and domination, and we cannot disappoint them.
Every term has its book, and in the book of the Sahrawi people is an indomitable will, an undefeated right, and an undeniable dream.
Furthermore, we should not overlook the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Sudan as a result of the crisis that has been raging in this sisterly country for more than a month, a crisis that has claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people and displaced hundreds of thousands of defenseless civilians, in addition to the signs of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe, and the danger looming in the dark horizon of another division of Sudan, God forbid. Amidst this bleak scene, Algeria calls for redoubling efforts and coordinating initiatives among all international and regional actors in order to extricate Sudan from the spiral of violence, division and fighting that has afflicted it with calamity.
Honorable assistance,
Algeria, being proud of its rooted African belonging and adhering to the continental approach of unity, adds today its voice to those of its sisterly countries in the continent to renew adherence and commitment to the principles and objectives of the African Union in the face of the multidimensional challenges that are still threatening the security and stability of our countries and peoples and undermining our efforts aimed at achieving sustainable development and the legitimate aspiration for shared prosperity.
In the same way that it has yesterday loyally and sincerely contributed to the walk of liberation and decolonization throughout our continent, and just as it has marked its prominent presence across all steps of the common African action, Algeria affirms today, under the leadership of the President of the Republic, Mister Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE, that it will remain an active stakeholder and an integral part of the collective African effort aimed at winning the bets of the economic development and achieving the ambitious vision that we drew together in the framework of the African Union’s agenda, known as Agenda 2063.
This vision, which Algeria has fully endorsed, has been placed at the heart of the new orientation that the President of the Republic has introduced on the African dimension of the Algerian foreign policy; an orientation anchored in the firm belief of the necessity and inevitability to operationalize the strongly interrelated relationship between development and security in order to expunge our continent from the scourge of armed conflicts and enable it to take on various challenges that transcend borders and countries.
This is precisely what my country is currently endeavoring to achieve through development projects decided for several neighboring African countries, under the aegis of the Algerian Agency for international Cooperation for Solidarity and Development, following the decision by the President of the Republic to increase its budget by allocating a financial envelope of one billion US Dollars.
My country is also working to implement this orientation by mobilizing resources and energies to complete the realization of flagship projects with regional and continental integration dimensions such as the Tran-Saharan Road, the Gas Pipeline Lagos-Algiers, the Tran-Sahara Optical Fiber Backbone, in addition to the road linking the Algerian city of Tindouf to the Mauritanian city of Zouirate.
In this context, I would like to affirm that Algeria’s orientation in favor of strengthening its contributions in the field of economic development so as to achieve shared prosperity, is complementary to my country’s long standing efforts to end armed conflicts and to preserve security and stability in its immediate neighborhood as well as in the entire African continent.
From this view point, and while continuing its efforts in leading the international mediation to advance the peace and reconciliation process in the sisterly Republic of Mali, Algeria welcomes the commitment of the Malian parties to the Algiers Agreement and their sincere engagement in the initiatives recently launched by my country to overcome the current obstacles and to ensure a rapid resumption of the process for a comprehensive implementation of the agreement to the benefit of the unity, security and stability of this sisterly country.
In the framework of the efforts to take on the security challenges in the Sahelo-saharan region, I would like to recall Algeria’s initiative to operationalize and to reinvigorate the role of the Joint Operational Staff Committee (CEMOC) in tackling terrorism and international organized crime that has become, due to their geographical expansion and increased intensity, the main threat to the security, stability and well-being of the region, in particular, and the Continent, in general.
Honorable assistance,
This year, Africa Day takes place in an international context loaded with challenges as a result of increasing global tensions and emerging sings of reshaping the balance of power in the international arena, as well as rapid and accelerating fluctuations within the existing international system.
Despite their repercussions, these exceptional circumstances offer us a precious opportunity to contribute to repair the structural vulnerabilities of the current international order, by focusing our efforts on the imperative of correcting the eight decades long marginalization of our Continent.
And we have no other choice to achieve such a goal than that of closing up our ranks and uniting our voices to enable ourselves to use the full weight of our continent and make our voice heard in different international fora, as well as to reach our countries’ aspirations to interact with other Nations on the basis of equal sovereignty, equal security, balance of interests and equitable interdependence.
Algeria is a country of peace; a country eager for freedom, a country that strives for equality; a country yearning for justice and fairness. These are the principles, these are the ideals, and these are the values that my country wants to contribute with to enlighten the path of the international relations system, where collective security would be significant and where international cooperation would be echoed, and where interdependence would be meaningful and impactful.
Inspired by such principles, ideals and values, and informed by its own rich track record of fulfillment of its obligations in promoting peace, security, development and integration and in defending the causes and priorities of our continent in various fields, Algeria is preparing to participate, with its candidacy for the post of non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period 2024-2025, in the elections to be held on June 6th at the United Nations General Assembly.
And as previously emphasized by the President of the Republic, Algeria’s candidacy for this important position falls within the implementation of its pledges to contribute as an influential actor to take on international challenges, by presenting ideas and initiatives that would enhance the role of multilateral action in maintaining international peace and security, as well as in reviving international cooperation and providing it with means of responding to the needs and aspirations of the entire humanity.
And while referring to the UN Security Council, there is no way but to recall the long-standing historical injustice inflicted upon our continent, which remains the only continent that is absent from the category of its permanent members and the least represented in the category of non-permanent members. In order to rectify to the largest possible extent what is the result of a gross lack of African representation within the Security Council, Algeria pledges to continue to contribute to unifying Africa’s position within this body to ensure a stronger voice and a more effective defense and protection of our continent’s interests, aspirations and legitimate ambitions.
In the way leading to achieve this goal, while renewing our gratitude to the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation for their endorsement of Algeria’s candidacy, we look forward to the support of all sisterly and friendly countries for us to discharge this continental mandate in the most loyal, committed and devoted manner. In doing so, our slogan is “Together to uphold the principles and objectives of the UN Charter to achieve a better future for all.”
I conclude my intervention by recalling this slogan, that my country has chosen to introduce its candidature as well as to explain its goals and objectives, looking forward to the backing of each and every one of your sisterly and friendly countries, where I am sure the best support and the best assistance is to be found.
Happy Africa Day,
May Africa continue every year its firm and steadfast march on the path drawn by the Founding Fathers to achieve security, stability, integration and unity,
May Africa continue every year to strengthen its role and impact on the international arena for a better future that ensures peace and prosperity to all without exclusion, marginalization, or discrimination.
Thank you all for your kind attention
Assalam Alaikoum wa rahmatou Allah
