Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune intervened on Tuesday, December 30, to clarify the controversy surrounding an alleged military agreement between Tunisia and Algeria, after the dissemination of a document presented as authentic on certain platforms and in Tunisian opposition media.
Speaking during his annual speech before the Algerian Parliament meeting in congress at the Palais des Nations in Club des Pins and quoted by several local media, the Algerian head of state wanted to reaffirm the solidity of Algerian-Tunisian relations and to reject any accusation of interference in Tunisia’s internal affairs.
From the start of his speech, Abdelmadjid Tebboune insisted on Tunisia’s diplomatic positioning, declaring that the country “is not one of the normalizers”, in allusion to the normalization agreements with Israel. Without mentioning any country by name, he mentioned the existence of parties seeking, according to him, to harm relations between Algiers and Tunis.
The Algerian president also denounced what he described as attempts to destabilize Tunisia and the historic friendship between the two countries. “They are trying to divide us and sow discord,” he said, stressing that the security of Tunisia and that of Algeria are closely linked.
The Algerian National People’s Army never intervened
Faced with the accusations relayed around the false document, Abdelmadjid Tebboune was categorical. He assured that the Algerian National People’s Army has never intervened and will never intervene on Tunisian territory. He also declared that he had never interfered in Tunisia’s internal affairs, affirming Algiers’ respect for Tunisian choices and direction.
The controversial document notably mentioned the possibility for the Algerian army to penetrate up to fifty kilometers inside Tunisian territory for anti-terrorist operations, going so far as to mention a role in “restoring institutional stability” in the event of unrest. Provisions that both Tunis and Algiers have formally denied.
On December 18, President Kaïs Saïed had already rejected the content of this document, affirming that it was a manipulation aimed at sowing doubt and fueling artificial tensions.
As a reminder, Tunisia and Algeria signed, on October 7, a cooperation agreement in the field of defense, which constitutes an update of the agreement concluded in 2001. According to the authorities of the two countries, this framework essentially aims to strengthen security coordination in the face of common threats, with strict respect for the national sovereignty of each State.
