Speech by Minister Ahmed Attaf on the occasion of Algerian Diplomacy Day
In the name of God the Merciful the Compassionate
and may His graces and peace be granted to His Messenger
Your Excellency the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Algeria,
Excellencies the Ambassadors and Heads of Diplomatic Missions accredited to Algeria,
Ladies and Gentlemen
Honourable audience,
We are gathered here today, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Organisation of African Unity, to renew our pledge to the founding fathers to preserve their precious legacy, and all that it contains in terms of noble ideals, unshakeable promises and firm commitments to achieve the goals of complete liberation, lasting security and shared prosperity throughout Africa.
We are here today to celebrate 60 years of this cherished anniversary, 60 years during which our civilisational and unitary project has made remarkable progress thanks to the efforts of successive generations of faithful pioneers, convinced that there is no dream for Africa other than the one that is the fruit of its imagination, that there is no destiny for Africa other than the one it has forged for itself, that there is no project for Africa other than the one it plans and implements, and that there is no straight path for Africa to follow other than the one built and paved by the strength of the arms of its daughters and sons.
And we are gathered here today in a moment of reflection, evaluation and introspection, to look back, not in a spirit of sorrow or regret for what we have missed or were forced to miss, but rather to draw lessons from past experiences, with a view to bringing about a global renaissance that will enable our continent to rise to the highest ranks of the concert of nations, as one of the main players in international decision-making.
As we celebrate today our shared achievements in preserving peace and security and promoting economic integration in the wake of the operationalisation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is the theme of the year of the African Union, we must not forget that our sisters and brothers in Africa's last colony, in Western Sahara to be precise, are waiting for our support so that they can exercise their inalienable and imprescriptible right to self-determination. Then, and only then, will Africa be able once and for all to turn the last page in the history of odious colonialism, shameful occupation and shameful plundering of its wealth.
The Sahrawi people, aspiring to liberation and emancipation, like all the other African peoples who preceded them in their accession to freedom and independence, are calling on us for help, and we have no right to ignore this call. It is a people that is demanding justice, and we do not have the right to ignore it.
They are a people crying out for justice, and we have no right to deny them that. They are a people crying out for help to put an end to the injustice, oppression and domination of which they are victims, and we do not have the right not to lend them the strong hand they expect from us.
Every deadline is written in a book, and in the book of the Sahrawi people there is an indomitable will, an unconquerable right and an undeniable dream.
Nor should we neglect the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Sudan as a result of the crisis that has gripped that sister country for more than a month, a crisis that has cost hundreds of innocent lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of defenceless civilians, in addition to the signs of an imminent humanitarian catastrophe and the looming danger of another division of Sudan, God forbid. Faced with this bleak picture, Algeria calls for redoubled efforts and coordinated initiatives by all international and regional players to help pull Sudan out of the spiral of violence, division and fighting that afflicts it.
Honorable assistance,
Algeria, proud of its deep-rooted African roots and firmly attached to the project of continental unity, today joins its voice to those of its African brothers in renewing its commitment and adherence to the principles and objectives of the African Union, in the face of the multidimensional challenges that continue to threaten the security and stability of our countries and peoples and undermine our efforts to achieve sustainable development and legitimate prosperity.
In the same way that it contributed yesterday, in all loyalty and sincerity, to the march of liberation and decolonisation of our continent, and that it marked its eminent presence during all the stages of the common African action, Algeria affirms today, under the wise leadership of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid TEBBOUNE, that it will remain an active player and an integral part of the collective African effort to meet the challenges of economic development and to realise the ambitious vision that we have drawn up together as part of the African Union's Agenda, known as Agenda 2063.
This vision, which Algeria has fully embraced, has been placed at the heart of the new direction that the President of the Republic has given to the African dimension of Algeria's foreign policy. An orientation rooted in our firm conviction of the need and inescapability of operationalising the closely intertwined relationship between development and security, which is essential if we are to rid our continent of the scourge of armed conflict and enable it to meet the various challenges that transcend borders and countries.
It is this approach that my country is currently endeavouring to put into practice through the implementation of development projects for the benefit of Africa.
the implementation of which is supervised by the Algerian Agency for International Cooperation for Solidarity and Development (ALDEC), which has been reinforced, by decision of the President of the Republic, by a financial envelope of one billion US dollars.
My country is also working to put this approach into practice by mobilising resources and energies to complete the construction of regional and continental integration projects, such as the trans-Saharan road project, the Lagos-Alger gas pipeline, the trans-Saharan fibre-optic corridor project, and the road project linking the Algerian town of Tindouf and the Mauritanian town of Zouerate.
In this context, I would like to affirm that Algeria's orientation towards strengthening its contributions in the field of economic development, with a view to achieving shared prosperity, is complementary to its long-standing efforts to put an end to armed conflicts and preserve security and stability in its immediate neighbourhood, as well as throughout the African continent.
With this in mind, and as it continues its efforts at the head of international mediation to monitor the peace and reconciliation process in the sister Republic of Mali, my country salutes the Malian parties' attachment to the Algiers Agreement and their sincere commitment to the efforts that Algeria has recently initiated with a view to overcoming the current difficulties and ensuring a rapid resumption of the implementation of the Agreement, in the service of unity, security and stability in this sister country.
Also, faced with the security challenges in the Sahel-Saharan region, I would like to recall the initiative taken by Algeria to reactivate and reinvigorate the role of the Joint Operational Staff Committee (JOSC) in the fight against the phenomena of terrorism and transnational crime which, due to their territorial expansion and increasing intensity, have become the main threat to the security, stability and development of the region, in particular, and of the continent, in general.
Honourable audience,
This year, we are celebrating Africa Day in an international context weighed down by the challenges generated by growing tensions in the world, which foreshadow a reshaping of the international chessboard.
This exceptional situation, notwithstanding its repercussions, offers us a precious opportunity to contribute to correcting the structural weaknesses of the international system, by focusing our efforts on the need to remedy the unfair marginalisation of which our continent has been the victim for nearly eight decades.
To this end, we have no other way of achieving such an objective than to close ranks and speak with one voice in order to bring our full weight to bear in the various international forums and enshrine the aspirations of our countries.
to interact with other countries on the basis of sovereign equality, collective security, balanced interests and equitable interdependence.
Algeria is a land of peace; a country thirsting for freedom; a country fighting for equality; a country eager for justice and equity. These are the principles, ideals and values that my country wishes to promote in order to light the way towards a system of international relations in which collective security, international cooperation and interdependence will be effective.
Inspired by these principles, ideals and values, and enlightened by its rich record of commitment to promoting peace, security, development and integration, and to defending the causes and priorities of our continent, Algeria is preparing to take part, with its candidacy for the post of non-permanent member of the Security Council for the period 2024-2025, in the elections to be held on 6 June at the United Nations General Assembly.
As the President of the Republic has already emphasised, Algeria's candidacy for this important post is part of its commitment to contribute, as an influential player, to tackling international challenges, by putting forward ideas and initiatives to strengthen multilateral action to maintain international peace and security, as well as to relaunch international cooperation and provide it with the necessary means to meet the needs and aspirations of all humankind.
When talking about the Security Council, one cannot help but recall the historical injustice suffered by our continent, which remains, to this day, the only one not to be represented in the category of permanent members, and the one least represented in that of non-permanent members. In order to remedy this flagrant lack of African representation on the Security Council, Algeria is committed to continuing its contribution to strengthening African ranks within this body and ensuring a more effective defence of the legitimate aspirations of our continent.
As part of our efforts to achieve this objective, and while we renew our deep gratitude to the African Union, the League of Arab States and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation for their support and endorsement of Algeria's candidacy, we are counting on the support of all brotherly and friendly countries so that Algeria can carry out this continental mandate with all the loyalty, commitment, dedication and sincerity it requires. In doing so, our slogan is ‘Together to defend the principles and objectives of the United Nations Charter for a better future for all’.
I would like to conclude my speech by recalling this slogan, under which my country has placed the aims and objectives of its candidacy to the Security Council, counting on the support and backing of each of your brotherly and friendly countries.
Happy Africa Day,
May Africa continue each year to march firmly and steadfastly along the path mapped out by the Founding Fathers towards the achievement of security, stability, integration and unity.
May Africa strengthen its role and influence on the international scene to light the way towards a better future that guarantees security and prosperity for all without exclusion, discrimination or marginalisation.
Thank you for your kind attention
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