Algeria expands the base of its economic cooperation with China to include areas in which France was its partner in the short term. This question raises the background to Algeria’s endeavor to expand the circle of its economic partnerships and break out of the French monopoly on it.
Since the summer of 2022, Algeria has officially expressed its desire to join the BRICS group. This was expressed by the President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune, saying that his country meets “most of the conditions required to join” the group of “great economic and political importance,” and it will also keep it away from the tensions of international poles, as he described it.
For its part, China welcomed this signal, as Chargé d'Affaires of the Chinese Embassy, Ken Jin, expressed Beijing's welcome to the Arab Republic's efforts to join the BRICS, and that his country "pays great attention" to that .
While this step is in addition to a trend that Algeria chose more than a decade ago, to expand its economic partnerships with China, which qualifies the Asian country to top the ranking of its international economic partners. This raises questions about the goals and backgrounds of this Algerian approach, and the extent of its impact on traditional relations with France.
How did Algeria strengthen its economic partnership with China?
Last November, Algeria signed a second "five-year plan for comprehensive strategic cooperation" with China. This five-year agreement intensifies cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, energy, agriculture, science and technology, space, health, and human and cultural communication between the two countries.
At the time, a joint statement of the Algerian and Chinese foreign ministries stated that the new signing is "a reinforcement of the comprehensive strategic partnership agreement signed in 2014, and a continuation of the common desire of the two sides to strengthen Algerian-Chinese relations and push them to the highest levels." It also reflects "the keenness of the two parties to value cooperation within the framework of The Belt and Road Initiative, which Algeria joined in 2018.
Although this step is in addition to declaring a desire to join BRICS, it is the latest form of Algeria expanding its economic partnerships with China. The Arab Republic, and since the beginning of the third millennium, Algiers and Beijing developed their economic relations, to include several aspects, including trade exchanges and investments in the sectors of industry, energy, mining and construction.
This is confirmed by the Algerian economist Abd al-Rahman Hadef, in his interview with TRT Arabi, saying that the economic relations between Algeria and China are "an ancient and extended relationship in the contemporary history of the two countries, and (embodied) in the great cooperation between them that aims at all economic fields."
In terms of numbers , the volume of trade exchange between Algeria and China amounted to about $14.6 billion in 2021, with an estimated growth of 32.6%. In 2022, China will import $1.2 billion worth of Algerian goods, most of which are energy materials such as oil and gas, and minerals such as iron ore.
Between 2005 and 2020, China invested an estimated $23.85 billion in Algeria. These investments were concentrated in the transportation and real estate sectors, as Chinese companies built major infrastructure projects such as the East-West Highway and the Great Mosque in Algiers. China has also invested in the energy sector, as Chinese companies have developed Algerian oil and gas fields.
In addition to Algeria joining the Chinese "Belt and Road" initiative, the Maghreb country will benefit from this initiative by developing its transport infrastructure, foremost of which is the project to develop the port of Hamdaniya, east of the capital Algiers, to become one of the largest ports in Africa.
A way to replace France?
Since 2013, China has succeeded in becoming Algeria's first supplier, displacing France from the position it had occupied for decades. This is confirmed by the Algerian economist, by saying: "In recent years, China has become the first supplier and trading partner for Algeria and has taken more status than European countries, especially France, the first traditional trading partner."
In addition to this, Abd al-Rahman Hadef explains that there is a new momentum in the economic partnership between the two countries, as "China today is continuing to go to conclude new partnerships with Algeria, the advantage of which is that it gives the investment dimension a greater prestige," as "we are talking today about major projects." Structured work carried out by Chinese institutions in fields such as construction and public works, and also concerns new sectors such as the industrial sector and the mining sector, such as the phosphate mine in the east of the country.
In a recent report , the Spanish "Atalayar" website indicated that this momentum known to Chinese investments in Algeria "toppled France" economically from the country. Evidenced by the deal signed by the Algerian company "Sonatrach" with Chinese companies to build a complex for petrochemical industries, in which the French company "Total Energy" was expected to participate by 49%.
The Algerian economist points out that strengthening the economic partnership with China falls within the framework of the Algerian state's efforts to expand the circle of its foreign partnerships and the new economic model that it is heading towards adopting.
Hadef said, "Today, Algeria is in a phase of comprehensive economic transformation, and therefore there is an intention to change the development model on which the Algerian economy is based, by going to a new, diversified and sustainable model."
This new development model, according to the speaker, is based on two axes; The first is “valuing the components of the various economic sectors such as industry, agriculture, tourism, the knowledge economy and other sectors that can become wealth-creating today.” The second axis is related to “integration into the global value chain, through alliances, partnerships and international cooperation based on respect for sovereignty and also on achieving Common interests".
And the economist concludes, at the end of his speech, by saying: "We think that Algeria today needs to conclude new partnerships and go with countries that share this vision. We see that there are many countries today ready to go in this way, such as China, Turkey, some Latin American countries, and even other countries." European".
Sudan : extending the ceasefire, and the United Nations warns of the flight of about a million people
Saudi Arabia and the United States announced an agreement between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the ceasefire agreement between them for an additional five days. For its part, the United Nations said that it is estimated that about one million people may flee Sudan by October.
On Monday, Saudi Arabia and the United States announced that the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces had agreed to extend the ceasefire agreement signed between them for an additional 5 days.
This came in a joint statement published by the US Embassy in Khartoum on its Twitter account.
The statement stated that "Saudi Arabia and the United States welcome the agreement of the Sudanese army forces and the Rapid Support Forces to extend the ceasefire agreement for an additional five days."
The statement indicated that the new extension of the agreement "will provide time for more humanitarian assistance and the restoration of basic services, and to discuss the possible extension in the long term."
And the statement went on: "Although it has not been fully implemented, the ceasefire signed on May 20 enabled the delivery of humanitarian aid to about one million Sudanese people in need."
He explained that the extension "will allow for more humanitarian efforts."
The official Saudi Press Agency, "SPA", stated that "the two parties agreed to discuss a long-term ceasefire, which requires the evacuation of urban areas and civilian homes from forces, the removal of more obstacles to the freedom of movement of civilians and humanitarian aid, and the empowerment of government employees to resume their usual duties." Statement.
In a related context, Riyadh and Washington condemned the "continuation of air strikes, attacks and prohibited movements" by the two parties to the conflict, and urged them to "respect their commitments to refrain from such actions during the new extension period."
In the statement, they stressed that "the parties must still abide by their obligations under the short-term ceasefire agreement of May 20 and the Declaration of Commitment to Protect Civilians in Sudan."
On Monday evening, the duration of a declared seven-day agreement between the army and the "rapid support" for a short-term ceasefire and humanitarian arrangements, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and the United States, expired.
On the evening of May 22, a new ceasefire agreement entered into force between the Sudanese army and the "rapid support" for a period of a week, with talks continuing between them in Saudi Arabia, in an attempt to reach a permanent cessation of fighting and a peaceful solution to the armed conflict that has been going on since April 15. .
Since April 15, several states in Sudan have been witnessing clashes between the army, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, "Hamidati", after the two sides exchanged accusations that one of them started attacking the headquarters of the other.
Warning of the flight of about a million people
For his part, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, said on Monday that it is estimated that about one million people may flee Sudan by October. He added that the conflict heralds an increase in human trafficking and the proliferation of weapons in a fragile region.
More than 350,000 people have already fled across the Sudanese border since the outbreak of war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on 15 April, most of them heading to Egypt, Chad and South Sudan.
More than a million people have been displaced within Sudan, which has an estimated population of 49 million.
Grandi said in an interview in Cairo after a visit to the border with Sudan that the Commission expected earlier about 800 thousand Sudanese and 200 thousand people of other nationalities to leave Sudan over a period of six months.
"At first I didn't think it would happen, but now I'm starting to worry," he added of the high numbers of displaced people.
Grandi said the breakdown of law and order in Sudan and "many people rushing to leave" would provide fertile ground for human trafficking, while arms circulating across borders could threaten more violence.
The United Nations has appealed to donors for $470 million for its six-month refugee response to the Sudan crisis, an amount Grandi said only 1 percent has been channeled.
And he added, "You can clearly feel that there is a very dangerous difference, as this crisis may destabilize the entire region and beyond, as much as Ukraine does in Europe."
Grandi said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is trying to establish a presence in Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan, where many Sudanese males between the ages of 16 and 50 are waiting to apply for visas to enter Egypt, but he is not sure when. Women, children or the elderly do not need visas.
He also made it clear that aid would need to be delivered to a buffer zone between the Egyptian and Sudanese border posts, where those fleeing would wait for long periods.
Since the conflict began, approximately 160,000 people have crossed from Sudan into Egypt, which already hosts a Sudanese community.
South Africa: opposition seeks to prevent Putin's visit
South Africa's main opposition party said on Tuesday that it had taken legal action to ensure that Vladimir Putin would be arrested if he set foot in the country, where he is expected in August for a summit.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is asking the courts for "an order" stipulating that if Vladimir Putin arrives in South Africa to participate in the Brics summit (bringing together South Africa, Brazil, China, India and Russia), the government will have to arrest him, as demanded by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC, based in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin in March for the war crime of "deporting" Ukrainian children as part of Moscow's offensive against Ukraine.
Since South Africa is a member of the ICC, it is theoretically supposed to arrest the Russian president upon his arrival in the country.
But Pretoria, which maintains close diplomatic relations with Moscow and insists on its "neutrality" in the conflict in Ukraine, has not yet indicated whether it will do so.
The DA explains that it has launched a “preventive” judicial request to ensure that the government “respects its obligations” and hands over Mr. Putin to the ICC in the event of his coming to South Africa. No "judicial ambiguity" should persist, says its press release.
Kremlin spokesman Boris Peskov merely said on Tuesday that Russia would be "duly represented" at the Brics summit, without specifying whether Mr. Putin intended to go there.
Moscow "assumes, of course" that its BRICS partners will "not be guided" by "illegitimate decisions", namely the ICC arrest warrant, he added.
The DA's legal action comes as the government granted diplomatic immunity to officials attending a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers this week and then the heads of state summit in August.
Some read the decision as a preparatory step to provide legal cover for Putin's visit, but Pretoria says it is standard procedure for organizing international conferences.
"These immunities do not cancel an arrest warrant issued by an international tribunal against any participant in the conference" , defended the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday morning.
South Africa has been criticized since the start of the war in Ukraine for its proximity to Moscow. In April, Mr Ramaphosa said the ICC arrest warrant for Mr Putin put South Africa "in the way".
Senegal: Ousmane Sonko calls for a "national resistance movement"
Ousmane Sonko claims to be "illegally detained" by the security forces and invites the public to demonstrate in favor of his release.
The Senegalese opposition leader took to social media to recall the democratic principles which he believes are being flouted.
"In the name of what, in a country that calls itself democratic, we can sequester a citizen who is only wrong to be a firm and fierce opponent of the regime of Macky Sall," encourages Mr. Sonko .
The 48-year-old president of the PASTEF-Patriotes party enjoys great popularity, especially among Senegalese youth.
Last weekend, his 500-kilometre "freedom caravan" drew crowds of supporters and led to clashes with security forces that left one person dead.
"It's time for all Senegalese to take their responsibilities to come out and face Macky Sall. And I call for that, for a national surge, for a national resistance movement in accordance with our constitution to face Macky Sall. Because he is no longer in a creeping dictatorship, the dictatorship is squarely on its feet and resolutely marching towards its objectives,” warns the leader of the opposition.
Political tensions have also been stoked by President Macky Sall's refusal to rule out the possibility of running for a third presidential term, which his opponents say would be unconstitutional.
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