EXCLUSIF. Algeria: France considers freezing the assets of “twenty dignitaries” of the regime. This was reported by the French magazine L’Express on Wednesday, May 28, stating that the French government is contemplating the path of freezing the assets of high-ranking Algerian officials in France.
Who are these dignitaries? What roles do they fulfill within the Algerian state? What types of assets do they hold in France? Much remains unclear from reading the article (paid). For instance, the only “information” provided by L’Express focuses on the fact that the French government is currently exploring this option.
A List of Twenty Algerian Dignitaries
“A list of ‘twenty dignitaries’ has been prepared, according to a government source. They all hold high administrative, security, and political positions in Algeria while owning properties or financial interests in France,” L’Express reports.
This measure is said to be a last resort in the event of failed negotiations between the two countries, with additional threats to publish the list of the 20 dignitaries on the table. There are also discussions regarding the freezing of Algerian officials’ assets in France through restrictions on access to their properties or other assets.
Paris plans to publish its list of “twenty dignitaries” should Algeria implement further hostile measures. “This would follow the model of Russian oligarchs,” the source notes, as L’Express presents what appears to be a barely veiled threat amid stagnant relations between the two nations.
By orchestrating this leak, the “government source” in France likely intended to pressure Algerian authorities. However, the aftermath has diverged significantly from the hoped-for outcome.
Response from the APS Agency
In a commentary published on Thursday evening, the APS agency denounced a “lack of professionalism” in how France manages its relationship with Algeria. “It has never reached such heights of unseriousness. Once again, this bears the distinctive mark of French officials for whom Algeria serves merely as political capital,” the APS claims.
“Algeria, its people, its government, and all its institutions say to them: go ahead, take action!” the APS added.
“The true authors of these threats, which can only provoke disdain and indifference from Algeria, should recognize to whom they are addressing. They are not speaking to the real Algeria, but to a fantasized Algeria. This imaginary Algeria can only be described using terms such as ‘regime,’ ‘power,’ ‘dignitaries’ or ‘nomenklatura’,” the Algerian news agency specified, noting, “This Algeria exists only in their delirium and irrationality.”
The APS reminds that Algeria has sought French judicial cooperation regarding ill-gotten gains by Algerians in France, without ever achieving any success. It highlights that 51 letters of request have gone unanswered. Algeria has also “sought the extradition of individuals convicted of theft, embezzlement, and public fund misappropriation, as well as corruption, referring particularly to Abdeslam Bouchouareb.”
“Through such failures, the concerned French authorities designate themselves as accomplices of these illegal practices and behaviors. If cleaning up the Augean stables is the goal, France should start with its own. This would enhance its credibility and seriousness, as it is precisely what it sorely needs,” the APS concluded.