During his speech at the Martyrs Memorial, Pope Francis put the Algerian regime face to face with its contradictions. These words of truth illustrate the regime’s contradictions.
By Hichem Aboud
It was supposed to be a historic moment, carefully staged to restore the country’s image. The visit of Pope Francis to Algeria, a first, was conceived as a diplomatic showcase, a communication operation aimed at projecting the image of a peaceful, open, and respectful state. But in just a few hours, this scenario shattered, caught up by the reality of the situation and the force of a speech that, despite its measured tone, sounded like a reminder.
An unsettling speech
Facing President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in the solemn setting of the cultural center of the Grand Mosque of Algiers, the pontiff did not mince words. Without explicitly naming the regime, he outlined it with remarkable precision.
“The authorities are called not to dominate, but to serve the people,” he declared, before emphasizing a fundamental principle: “the criterion of political action lies in justice, without which there is no authentic peace.”
In a country where political arrests, restrictions on freedoms, and the closure of public space are regularly denounced, these words resounded beyond a mere spiritual exhortation. They took the form of a diagnosis and, more importantly, an implicit disavowal.
The pope went further, calling to “educate in critical thinking and freedom,” to “recognize in the one who is different a companion on the road and not a threat.” A message difficult to reconcile with a political system based on suspicion, repression, and exclusion of any dissenting voices.
Blida: Deafening silence
As if this speech was not enough to disturb the official staging, the papal visit was immediately overshadowed by explosions in the city of Blida, about fifty kilometers from Algiers. A garrison town housing the headquarters of the 1st military region, the military court and prison, an airbase, the school for reserve officers, the regional technical center for research and investigations (internal security), among other military facilities. This gives the city a highly secure status.
Two explosions, described by some as attempted attacks, shook this strategic garrison city from the early hours of the visit. Yet, the authorities’ silence was total. More troubling: the national press, from all sides, ignored the event.
No confirmation, no explanation. Just a heavy silence, accompanied by unofficial denials relayed by channels close to power. A version deemed not credible in light of images circulating on social media and questions raised by international media.
This silence did not stifle the matter. It amplified it.
A double-edged strategy
For several years, the Algerian authorities have been trying to impose a security narrative, going so far as to classify peaceful political movements like the MAK or Rachad, as well as journalists and influencers as “terrorist organizations.”
In this context, the lack of communication about explosions during a major international visit raises questions. Why silence an event that elsewhere would have been immediately exploited to justify a reinforced security posture?
This choice, far from protecting the regime’s image, exposed it. It revealed a profound contradiction: that of a power oscillating between the desire to control the narrative and the fear of losing control of it.
A visit that leaves traces
Ultimately, Pope Francis’ visit did not offer the Algerian regime the showcase it hoped for. It acted instead as a revealer.
A revealer of a gap between official discourse and reality. A revealer of a weakened system, incapable of publicly acknowledging events that trouble it. A revealer, finally, of a voice from elsewhere, strong enough to shed light on what is being attempted to be silenced.
Now remains a central question: will Abdelmadjid Tebboune be able to hear the message, or will he choose, once again, to ignore it?
