Algerian State Newspaper El Moudjahid Praises French Figures Amid Rising Tensions with France
On March 23, 2025, Algeria's El Moudjahid featured four French figures as "friends" amid Franco-Algerian tensions, sparking controversy. Critics like Éric Ciotti condemned the article, while supporters praised it for highlighting critical voices against racism. This development risks amplifying diplomatic friction ahead of elections in France.
hassan benyoub 
Algiers, March 24, 2025, 2:15 PM PDT – The Algerian government-backed newspaper El Moudjahid featured four French personalities—Jean-Michel Aphatie, David Guiraud, Ségolène Royal, and Benjamin Stora—on its front page on March 23, 2025, hailing them as “friends” of Algeria amid strained Franco-Algerian relations. The article, titled “Algeria Does Not Only Have Enemies in France,” has sparked controversy, with French politician Éric Ciotti slamming it on X as a “consecration” for Aphatie, per AFP and Le Monde.
Details of the Article
Published on Sunday, El Moudjahid praised the four figures as “voices of wisdom” in the ongoing diplomatic crisis. Ségolène Royal, a former French minister, was lauded for acknowledging France’s “moral debt” to Algeria, while journalist Jean-Michel Aphatie was cited for comparing French colonization to the Third Reich. Historian Benjamin Stora, author of a 2021 report on the memory of the Algerian War, and LFI deputy David Guiraud, who criticized French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, were also highlighted as allies, per Fdesouche. The article further commended Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Dominique de Villepin for their critical stances on French policy.
El Moudjahid drew a parallel between the Algerian War and the “activism of the French far-right,” accusing the latter of targeting Algeria. It described the four personalities as fighting against “racism” and a “Goebbelsian atmosphere” in France, framing their actions as a defense of “freedom,” per the newspaper’s editorial.
Reactions in France
The front-page feature drew sharp criticism from Éric Ciotti, president of the Union des Droites pour la République (UDR), who posted on X at 8:00 AM PDT: “The consecration for Aphatie! Thanked on the front page of the official newspaper of the rogue Algerian state in recognition of services rendered.” Posts on X, like @FrancePolitique’s, echoed Ciotti’s outrage, while @AlgerieSupport praised the article as “a recognition of true allies.”
Historical Role of El Moudjahid
Founded in 1957 as the mouthpiece of the National Liberation Front (FLN) during the Algerian War, El Moudjahid (“The Fighter”) has since become a state-controlled newspaper, per en.wikipedia.org. It frequently criticizes France, with past editorials in December 2024 labeling Retailleau a “staunch defender of the genocidal Zionist entity” and in January 2025 demanding that Libération “shut up” over its coverage of Algeria, per lexpressiondz.com.
Context of Franco-Algerian Tensions
The article emerges amid heightened friction between France and Algeria, fueled by disputes over Western Sahara—where France recognized Moroccan sovereignty in July 2024—the arrest of writer Boualem Sansal, Algeria’s refusal to repatriate nationals under expulsion orders (OQTF), and anti-French rhetoric from Algerian influencers and officials, per bfmtv.com. Posts on X, such as @FranceDiplo’s, highlight the diplomatic strain, while @AlgeriePatriote defends El Moudjahid’s stance as “a reflection of national sentiment.”
Implications
The feature risks further inflaming tensions, with French officials likely to view it as propaganda, per a March 2025 Carnegie Endowment analysis on North African relations. Algeria’s portrayal of French figures as allies may deepen domestic divisions in France, especially ahead of upcoming elections, as noted on X by @PolitiqueFrance.
