Sahel: Terrorism and organized crime must be eradicated by all means, including the use of force (Ministry for Foreign Affairs)

Algérie Presse Service (APS) - October 11, 2012

ALGIERS - "Algeria has always argued that it is "legitimate" to use all means, "including the use of force", to eradicate terrorist group and their affiliates in organized crime in the Sahel and "does not support recourse to exclusively political means" to achieve that, said today Mr. Amar Belani, the spokesman for the foreign ministry.

"Some have recently tended to present Algeria's position in an oversimplified manner, failing to mention some important elements of our approach and systematically presenting it as being at odds with the position held by other partners in the region," noted the spokesman in a statement to APS.

"Contrary to what is being said, insisted Mr. Belani, Algeria does not support political solutions to the exclusion of others and we have always affirmed that it was legitimate to use all means, including force, to eradicate terrorist groups and their affiliates in organized crime in the Sahel."

"You can well imagine that Algeria, which has deeply suffered from those two scourges, could not be the least complacent or indifferent in that regard," he added.

"However, we consider that use of force must be conducted with the required discernment in order to avoid any lumping together and confusion between the populations of northern Mali, who have legitimate claims, and terrorist groups and drug-traffickers, who must be targeted because they are the source of the threats hanging over the region," Mr. Belani said.

In the wake of efforts being deployed by Algeria in the search for a solution in Mali, Minister Delegate for Maghreb and African Affairs Abdelkader Messahel has led a delegation, including namely senior officials from the Ministry of National Defense, to Mauritania, Mali and Niger.

Part of regular consultations conducted among the countries of the region on the situation in the Sahel, the visit enabled the Algerian delegation to discuss with its counterparts issues including, more particularly, the crisis in Mali and prospects for its resolution with due regard to the country's territorial integrity and the higher interests of the Malian people and the peoples of the region.

The Algerian and French sides share "a wide convergence of views" on the importance of preserving Mali's territorial integrity and national unity, as well as on the definition of the threat represented by terrorism and transnational organized crime.