APS : Friday, 26 January 2018
PARIS-Algeria has “its own doctrine in terms of peace and security especially as we it is our region,” said Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel,
stressing that “our country has always made national effort its first choice to deal with events.”
“We have our own doctrine in terms of peace and security especially as it is our region. Thanks to our experience, we have always made national effort our first choice to deal with events,” stated Messahel in response to a question about Algeria’s absence in the G5 Sahel in interview to French radio RFI, recalling that “Algeria did not count on anybody to overcome the black decade, in which 200,000 people were killed.”
The G5 Sahel is a framework for regional cooperation in the fight against terrorism and migration, supported by France and some European countries, which includes five Sahel states, namely Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.
For Messahel, “it is extremely important that countries rely on their own capacities. Based on our experience, counterterrorism depends on a real internal mobilization. We are making the same efforts with both Mali and Niger and these efforts must remain at the sight of all.”
“This does not mean that Algeria does not have troops. It is a doctrine. Our army has a national defence vocation in accordance with the Constitution. This is a historical and cultural fact,” affirmed the Foreign Minister, stressing that Algeria’s children “defend their country.”
“We do not go to other fields because it is contrary to our doctrine. However, providing support to countries facing such situations is our duty and sometimes we do it in great discretion,” said Messahel.
Algeria has “invested a lot” in the training of special counterterrorism units in the Sahel region, recalled Messahel.
“Since independence, we have provided counterterrorism training to more than 65,000 African executives. We have trained executives from Mali, Niger and other countries in the sub-region,” affirmed Messahel.
