Earth Science News  
AFRICA NEWS
Algeria escalates France dispute with flight ban
By Daphn� BENOIT
Paris (AFP) Oct 3, 2021

The diplomatic discord between Algeria and France deepened on Sunday after Algiers banned French military planes from its airspace, its latest response to a row over visas and critical comments from President Emmanuel Macron.

France's jets regularly fly over the former French colony to reach the Sahel region of western Africa, where its soldiers are helping to battle jihadist insurgents as part of its Barkhane operation.

"This morning when we filed flight plans for two planes, we learned that the Algerians had stopped flights over their territory by French military planes," an army spokesman, Colonel Pascal Ianni, told AFP.

He said the decision had "slightly impacted" supply flights but "does not affect our operations" in the Sahel.

The French intelligence-gathering operations in the Sahel using Reaper drones were affected by the new restrictions, Ianni added. Those drones operate out of Niamey in Niger and do not fly over Algeria.

The army had received no official notification of the flight ban, he added.

But the move heightened tensions that had already flared Saturday when the Algerian government recalled its ambassador to France, citing "inadmissible interference" in its affairs.

According to French and Algerian media reports, Macron told descendants of figures in Algeria's 1954-62 war for independence that the country was ruled by a "political-military system" that had "totally re-written" its history.

"You can see that the Algerian system is tired, it has been weakened by the Hirak," he added, referring to the pro-democracy movement that forced Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power in 2019 after two decades at the helm.

Macron's office did not deny the reported comments, but said the president was discussing the war in Algeria with French youths and answering questions, not giving an official interview.

Ianni said there had been no official notification of the flight ban, and the French foreign ministry, contacted by AFP, declined to comment.

- Visa protest -

Last year, the Algerian government criminalised the dissemination of what it considers "false news" that harms national unity.

Saturday's ambassador recall was the second time it had done so, having taken a similar response in May 2020 after French media broadcast a documentary about the Hirak movement.

Algerian officials have cracked down on efforts to revive the pro-democracy protests, and rights groups say dozens of people linked to it have been jailed in recent months.

Algiers was also angered last week after France said it would sharply reduce the number of visas it grants to citizens of Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

Paris said the decision had been made necessary by the former colonies' failure to do enough to allow illegal migrants in France to be returned.

When a French court denies a person's visa request, authorities must still secure a consular travel pass from his or her home country in order to forcibly expel them, a document that Paris says Algiers, Rabat and Tunis are largely refusing to provide.

Macron has reportedly ordered the number of visa deliveries to Algeria and Morocco to be halved from 2020 levels, and by a third for Tunisia.

The Algerian foreign ministry summoned France's ambassador Francois Gouyette on Wednesday to make a "formal protest" of the visa ruling.


Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


AFRICA NEWS
UN peacekeeper killed in north Mali IED attack
Bamako (AFP) Oct 3, 2021
An Egyptian peacekeeper was killed and four colleagues were seriously injured in improvised explosive attacks on their convoy in Mali's volatile north on Saturday, the United Nations said. Confirming the toll, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General said Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the attacks, which happened near Tessalit, close to the Algerian border. Guterres said attacks could constitute war crimes, and called on Malian authorities "to spare no effort" in finding those responsibl ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

AFRICA NEWS
Science seeks ancient plants to save favourite foods

Severe droughts dry up dreams of Turkish farmers

Grapes of change: French wines adapt to global warming

Dry year leaves Syria wheat farmers facing crop failure

AFRICA NEWS
New Pacific Ocean circulation findings may hold key to better predicting impact of El Nino and La Nina

A river runs through it: Brussels uncovers hidden waterway

Senegal's old capital on the frontline against rising sea

Climate change threatens the Everglades, Florida's gem

AFRICA NEWS
Vanessa Nakate's hope giving voice to climate vulnerable

To curb climate change, get wealthy people to enact reforms

UN chief warns of 'hellish future' as youth demand action on climate

Kenya drought leaves 2.4 million at risk of hunger by November: WFP

AFRICA NEWS
Sandia-developed solar cell technology reaches space

New imaging system reveals solar panel defects even in bright sunlight

Solar cells with 30-year lifetimes for power-generating windows

Scientists explore the physics of perovskite, a material with many potential technological applications

AFRICA NEWS
Crucial step identified in the conversion of biomass to methane

S-92 helicopter completes first flight using biofuel

Researchers want to breed a sorghum variety that captures more carbon

UMD to create sustainable biofuels and bioplastics from food waste with DOE grant

AFRICA NEWS
Fires, floods, flying insects: 10 recent climate-fuelled disasters

U.S. Navy, Lebanese military to improve construction, humanitarian capabilities

Mexico's suit against US gunmakers edges ahead

Plea for Haiti aid amid political crisis, quake clean-up

AFRICA NEWS
California rushes to contain oil spill as wildlife, beaches hit

California authorities rush to mitigate impact of major oil spill

US Coast Guard probes anchor strike over California oil spill: report

Greenpeace boats block Dutch Shell refinery

AFRICA NEWS
Johnson vows 'long overdue' revamp of UK's post-Brexit economy

Chinese developer Fantasia fails to make debt payments

US to have 'frank conversations' with China on trade

Asian markets follow Wall St down as oil surge fans inflation fears









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.