French Interior Minister Discusses Fight against Terrorism, Illegal Migration in Algeria

French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin leaves the Elysee Palace after the weekly cabinet meeting on October 28, 2020, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)
French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin leaves the Elysee Palace after the weekly cabinet meeting on October 28, 2020, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)
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French Interior Minister Discusses Fight against Terrorism, Illegal Migration in Algeria

French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin leaves the Elysee Palace after the weekly cabinet meeting on October 28, 2020, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)
French Minister of Interior Gerald Darmanin leaves the Elysee Palace after the weekly cabinet meeting on October 28, 2020, in Paris, France. (Getty Images)

French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin did not receive from Algeria a pledge to receive Algerian residents in France whom Paris is seeking to deport over their ties to terrorism.

On a two-day visit to Algeria, the French official met on Saturday with his counterpart, Kamel Beldjoud to discuss the fight against terrorism and illegal immigration.

Darmanin was in Algeria in wake of a fatal knife attack at a church in Nice last week.

France's chief anti-terrorism prosecutor has said the man suspected of carrying out the Nice attack was a Tunisian born in 1999 who had arrived in Europe on Sept. 20 in Lampedusa, the Italian island off Tunisia.

Darmanin had paid a visit to Tunisia ahead of arriving in Algeria.

Sources following the minister’s visit said he informed Algerian authorities that his government has decided to expel Algerians, including a mosque imam. He requested that Algerian authorities refrain from prosecuting them before the judiciary.

The sources explained that France was seeking a pledge from Algeria that the deportees would not be imprisoned, which it could therefore, use a way to persuade them to return to their home country. This way, Paris would also avoid them resorting to European courts to annul the deportation.

The sources said Algerian official have expressed reservations over the French request, explaining that such an issue infringes on the country’s sovereignty. They said that Algiers was ready to tackle the case of every suspected radicalized Algerian and only then will their fate be decided.

Some of the potential deportees are fugitive members of the banned Islamic Salvation Front. They left Algeria in wake of acts of terrorism that followed the military’s intervention to annul parliamentary elections that were won by Islamists in 1991.

Many of those who left Algeria had sought political asylum in France. The Algerian judiciary, which accused them of terrorism, has sought their capture ever since they quit the country.



Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
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Sudan's Foreign Ministry Condemns Nairobi Meetings as Army Vows Retaliation

Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)
Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army General Yasir Al-Atta (Sudan News Agency)

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry has downplayed meetings held in Nairobi, Kenya, to sign a political charter that would pave the way for the establishment of a government in areas controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan.

This proposed government would act as a parallel authority to the military-backed administration based in Port Sudan, the country’s temporary capital.

The Foreign Ministry dismissed the initiative as a “propaganda stunt” and warned of potential measures to restore order.

The Sudanese army also vowed to confront supporters of the new government and to purge the country of RSF forces.

Speaking at a rally in the northern city of Al-Dabba, Assistant Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Army, General Yasir Al-Atta, stated that the military is preparing to “cleanse” the country of RSF forces and retake all areas under their control.

His remarks marked the first direct military response to the Nairobi meetings, which are backed by the RSF and seek to establish a so-called “Government of Peace and Unity.”

This coalition consists of political and civil groups, armed movements, and RSF representatives, positioning itself as an alternative to the military-led government in Port Sudan.

In a strongly worded statement, Al-Atta vowed to fight those attempting to establish the parallel government. “To those who claim to be forming a parallel government, we will fight you in every inch of Sudanese territory. We will show you that the Sudanese nation has lions with sharp claws and fangs,” he said.

The Sudanese Foreign Ministry dismissed the Nairobi meetings as a “mere propaganda event” with no real impact. It also hinted at possible actions to restore order.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, the ministry expressed regret over Kenya’s decision to host the signing of what it called a political agreement between the “terrorist RSF militia” and its allies. It accused Kenya of violating international law, United Nations principles, and the founding charter of the African Union.

Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the signing of the political charter was postponed to Friday following the participation of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, led by Abdelaziz Adam Al-Hilu. Additional military and civilian factions are expected to join the initiative to establish a government in RSF-controlled areas, running parallel to the administration led by Army Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan in Port Sudan.

The Foreign Ministry warned that the stated goal of the agreement—to form a government on Sudanese territory—amounts to an attempt to divide the country, undermine its sovereignty, and interfere in its internal affairs. It also accused Kenya of “harboring RSF leaders and allowing them to engage in public political and propaganda activities,” arguing that this effectively encourages continued crimes against civilians, including massacres and genocide.

Furthermore, the ministry accused the Kenyan government of violating principles of good neighborliness and contradicting previous commitments made at the highest levels not to allow hostile activities against Sudan from its territory.

The ministry asserted that the Nairobi meetings would have no real impact, emphasizing the Sudanese army’s determination to reclaim all land from what it described as the “terrorist militia and its foreign mercenaries.”

It also called on the international community to condemn Kenya’s actions, warning that Sudan would take the necessary steps to correct the situation.

Kenya Faces Domestic Criticism

Kenya has also faced internal criticism for hosting an event organized by the RSF to announce a parallel government, with some accusing it of irresponsibility and “covering up” criminal activities.

Two sources involved in organizing the event told Agence France Presse that RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), who has remained largely out of sight throughout the war, has arrived in Kenya and is expected to attend the official announcement on Friday.

Kenya has historically hosted several regional peace agreements, including the Comprehensive Peace Agreement for Sudan 20 years ago, which ended a previous civil war. However, a lawyer working with the International Refugee Organization, a human rights group, stated that Kenya’s latest move “undermines” the positive image it seeks to project.