The Algerian ambassador to Dakar, Ridha Nebais, presided over the ceremony commemorating the national day of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria on Friday, November 7, at a local hotel. He described this symbolic date as illustrating the Algerian people's deep attachment to the principle of sovereignty and the memory of their revolution.

"Our national holiday is celebrated every year on the day the revolution began, November 1, 1954, rather than on the day of independence, July 7, 1962. This is an Algerian peculiarity which reflects our fidelity to the principle of sovereignty," said the diplomat, in the presence of the Minister of State to the President of the Republic in charge of monitoring the steering and evaluation of the national transformation agenda Senegal 2050, Ahmadou Al Aminou Lô.

Ridha Nébais thus recalled that this historic decision was "sovereignly taken by young Algerians animated by an unwavering faith in Allah and in their freedom".

He revisited the key moments of the war of liberation, which he described as an "epic full of sacrifices" waged by a poor but determined people against a military superpower supported by the Atlantic Alliance. This war, which cost the lives of one and a half million Algerians, ended with the victory of the Algerian people and the advent of a free nation.

Even better, the Ambassador revisited the suffering endured during this period, including torture, the destruction of villages, bombings and the aftermath of French nuclear tests in the south of the country, the effects of which are still measurable today.

 

"Between 2013 and 2025, nearly $3.5 billion in debt will benefit 14 African countries."

 

 

Returning to the African dimension of Algerian diplomacy, the representative from Algiers emphasized his country's historical role in the decolonization of the continent. "After independence, Algeria became the capital of Pan-Africanism and a staunch defender of Third World causes," he stated.

Under the presidency of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Algeria, a founding member of the African Union, intends to strengthen this African orientation through structuring projects such as the trans-Saharan road, the Lagos-Algiers gas pipeline, the fiber optic backbone, or the road linking Tindouf (Algeria) to Zouerate (Mauritania), for a cost exceeding one billion dollars.

The diplomat also noted that "his country cancelled nearly $3.5 billion of debt between 2013 and 2025 for the benefit of 14 African countries."

According to him, Senegal occupies a privileged place in Algeria's African policy. "Our two countries share a history, a common spirituality through the Tidiane brotherhood and deep human ties," he recalled, citing in particular Cheikh Anta Diop, Mamadou Dia and Abdoulaye Wade among the great Senegalese figures who are friends of Algeria.

Aware of Senegal's strategic importance, Algeria has in recent years multiplied its initiatives to strengthen ties with the opening in Dakar of the first Algerian bank abroad (ABS Bank), the establishment of a permanent showroom at CICES, the increase in Air Algérie flights to one daily flight, the opening of a direct maritime line between Algiers and Dakar, the granting of scholarships to Senegalese students and the drilling of drinking water wells and increased cooperation between the Red Crescents of the two countries.

The ambassador reaffirmed Algeria's commitment to supporting Senegal in its development efforts, while also commending Senegal's stability and vitality on the continental stage.