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Algerian Judiciary Urged to Summon Bouteflika on Corruption Charges

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Algeria April 9, 2018. (Reuters)
Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Algeria April 9, 2018. (Reuters)
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Algerian Judiciary Urged to Summon Bouteflika on Corruption Charges

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Algeria April 9, 2018. (Reuters)
Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika is seen in Algiers, Algeria April 9, 2018. (Reuters)

An Algerian court has ordered Mokhtar Reguieg, Chief of Protocol of the Presidency, to be held under temporary detention, as part of an investigation into corruption cases.

Reguieg is facing charges related to the abuse of power and smuggling subsidized commodities, in addition to violating the legislation and regulation on exchange and the movement of capital in return for unjustified privileges.

A judicial source, who preferred to remain anonymous, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he is accused of exploiting his power as a high-ranking official at the presidency, where he served for eight years, to allow prominent businessmen to get government banking loans and facilitation in importing.

The same source affirmed that several executive directors in ministries and government bodies and officials in financial authorities will be summoned to court soon to be interrogated regarding their role in the squandering of huge funds during former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika’s time in office from 1999 to 2019.

The Court of Sidi M’hamed in Algiers sentenced late last year former prime ministers Ahmed Ouyahia and Abdelmalek Sellal to 15 and 12 years in prison, respectively.

Other ministers and businessmen were sentenced for accepting bribes and exploiting their posts to provide unearned privileges. They were close to former Bouteflika and his brother Said, who in turn received a sentence of 15 years in prison on charges of conspiracy against the state and army.

Activists and attorneys demanded that Abdelaziz Bouteflika be summoned for questioning because the imprisoned officials were following his orders and policies.

Human rights activist Hassan Bouras is leading a campaign demanding that he brought to trial.

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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
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Kabbashi: Sudan War Nearing End, Arms Proliferation Poses Major Threat

Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, said his government has no objection to delivering aid to other states, provided guarantees are in place (Sudan News Agency)

The war in Sudan is nearing its end, a top military official said on Saturday, warning that the widespread availability of weapons could pose one of the biggest threats to the country’s stability in the post-war period.
Shams al-Din Kabbashi, a member of Sudan’s Sovereign Council and deputy commander of the army, told state governors in the temporary capital of Port Sudan that arms proliferation is a “major danger awaiting the state.”
“The areas that have been retaken must be handed over to the police for administration,” Kabbashi said, stressing that civilian policing, not military control, should take over in recaptured territories.
He also pointed to the need to redeploy troops currently stationed at checkpoints and security outposts in liberated regions. “We need these forces on other frontlines,” he said.
Kabbashi described the rise in hate speech triggered by the conflict as “unacceptable” and warned that Sudan would face deep social challenges once the fighting stops.
According to Kabbashi, the Sudanese armed forces are in a strong position after initial setbacks at the start of the war, as the military seeks to shift focus to restoring internal security and supporting civil governance in liberated areas.
“The situation of the armed forces and supporting units is more than good,” said Kabbashi. “We were in a bad place at the beginning of the war — now we are more than fine.”
Kabbashi added that army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan is highly focused on ensuring public safety across the country, calling security “a top priority, ahead of all other services.”
He warned, however, that Sudan faces deeper challenges beyond the battlefield. “The plot against Sudan is bigger than the militia we’re fighting — they are only the front,” Kabbashi said, referring to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) without naming them directly.
He pointed to rising crime, widespread weapons, and looting as major security threats that emerged during the war, saying state authorities would have a significant role to play in restoring order.
Kabbashi urged state governors to back police forces in their efforts to maintain law and order, emphasizing that police support is “urgently needed” during the current transitional phase.