Algiers–Nouakchott: A Malicious Op-Ed in Service of a Fabricated Crisis

✍️ BY: R. Malek 

Translated by: Dr. Hana Saada

─────────────◆─────────────

Algiers, Algeria– Tuesday, July 15, 2025 | Behind the façade of intellectual decorum and the trappings of geopolitical analysis, the opinion piece published on July 14, 2025, by Nigerien commentator Seidik Abba on Maghreb Intelligence is more a deliberate provocation than a genuine analytical contribution.

This self-styled “Sahel expert,” known more for his commissioned opinion pieces than any sincere commitment to African unity, has engaged in a thinly veiled act of media sabotage, seeking to manufacture a crisis between two nations—Algeria and Mauritania—who are steadily deepening their bilateral cooperation.

Intellectual Imposture Masquerading as Commentary

Abba introduces himself as an academic and the president of a so-called “International Center for Sahelian Studies and Reflection”, based in Paris—a pompous title with no real credibility, essentially a smokescreen for his ideologically charged positions. His article, allegedly reacting to an “Algerian media campaign” against Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, rests on a gross misrepresentation: a single article penned by a notorious dissident, Mohamed Rachid Cherfaoui, and published by Le Matin d’Algérie—a website banned in Algeria and devoid of any recognized presence in the national media landscape.

Mohamed Cherfaoui: A Lone Wolf, Not an Algerian Voice

It must be emphatically stated—and perhaps reiterated for Mr. Abba’s benefit—that Cherfaoui is in no way a representative of Algerian journalism or a voice within any mainstream press outlet. He has resided abroad for years and uses Le Matin d’Algérie as a personal platform to vent his resentment toward the Algerian state. His views, however controversial, are purely individual expressions—not state policy, nor media consensus.

Abba’s grave error—or more accurately, his manipulative ploy—consists of elevating a marginal article to the level of state animosity. This is not only intellectually dishonest; it is dangerously deceitful.

When Instrumentalization Replaces Analysis

By attributing hostile intentions to Algeria—intentions that are absent from all official channels and reputable media outlets—Abba exposes his true purpose: to ignite a political firestorm, distort diplomatic optics, and cast suspicion on an Algeria-Mauritania axis that has been steadily gaining strength.

His text is not that of a concerned intellectual; it is a disinformation campaign dressed in the robes of analysis. And what is the supposed provocation? A state visit by President Ghazouani to Washington, during which no criticism whatsoever was directed at Algeria—not in public statements, not in official communications, not in the press. Everything else is pure speculation, interpretation, and bad faith.

Who Benefits from this Manufactured Tension?

One must ask the question Abba carefully avoids: Who benefits from this attempted escalation? The answer is evident to any seasoned observer of regional geopolitics. Algeria and Mauritania have, in recent years, strengthened ties—from energy accords and interconnection projects to security forums and a shared stance on regional crises. Such strategic proximity bothers certain actors, especially in Rabat and Paris, who yearn to see Nouakchott return to their orbit.

In this light, Abba emerges as a relay—witting or unwitting—of these interests, helping to sow doubt where unity is being forged.

Selective Outrage and the Ethics of Opportunism

A fellow journalist once quipped: “Maghreb Intelligence has no editorial line—it has a sewer line.” Crude, perhaps, but accurate. This type of commentary springs not from rigorous inquiry but from a dependency on influence networks intent on keeping Africa divided and submissive, rather than sovereign and united.

Manufacturing Discord Through Media Engineering

Abba’s op-ed is not just misleading—it is insidious. It seeks to supplant facts with fiction, to turn a non-event into a diplomatic standoff, and to peddle the notion of a rupture between two peoples bound by shared history, geography, and destiny. It is a classic tactic of information warfare: provoke, amplify, divide. But this time, the playbook fails.

Armchair Arsonists Will Not Undermine Regional Unity

Africa does not need exiled moralists pontificating from Parisian salons. It needs bridge-builders, honest thinkers, and journalists who are both free and responsible. By trying to torpedo the Algiers–Nouakchott axis, Seidik Abba has inadvertently highlighted its resilience. He sought to sow doubt—and met indifference. He postured as a clairvoyant—only to be unmasked as a broker of discord.

📡🌍 | About Dzair Tube Media Group | 🌍📡
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
📰 Dzair Tube is a trailblazer in Algerian digital journalism, delivering high-quality content in Arabic, French, and English. With more than 📈 500,000 daily clicks, it ranks among the most influential media platforms in the country.

🏆 Awarded the President of the Republic’s Prize for Professional Journalist in the Electronic Press category (🗓 October 22, 2022), Dzair Tube is widely recognized for its editorial excellence and integrity.

📱 Massive Digital Reach:
🔴 350,000+ YouTube subscribers
🔵 6 million+ followers across Facebook pages
📸 450,000+ Instagram followers

🎥 Operating from state-of-the-art studios, Dzair Tube broadcasts rich and diverse programming, including:
🗞 News | ⚽ Sports | 🎭 Entertainment | 🕌 Religion | 🎨 Culture

🗣️ Featuring interactive talk shows and exclusive interviews with prominent figures from politics, business, arts, and more, Dzair Tube serves as a key platform for public discourse and civic engagement.

📰 Its print sports daily, “Dzair Sport,” enjoys over 50,000 daily downloads via the official website—further cementing the platform’s multimedia leadership.

🎖️ Honored with the Media Leadership Award by the former Minister of Communication, Mohamed Laâgab, and celebrated at the Hilals of the Television awards, Dzair Tube continues to lead with innovation, influence, and impact.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
🌐 Stay Connected:
🔗 Website: www.dzair-tube.dz
🔗 English: www.dzair-tube.dz/en
📲 Follow us on Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━