How President Tebboune Turned the Intra-African Trade Fair into a Triumph: A Powerful Message to Adversaries and a Testament to Algeria’s Rising Stature as an Emerging Continental Power
✍️ BY: Maamar Gani
Algiers – September 2025 – President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s supervision of the opening of the 4th edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF) was far from an ordinary event in Algeria. It represented a landmark moment that carried profound political messages and put an end to speculations and rumors recently propagated by Algeria’s detractors and the echo chambers of the Moroccan Makhzen. His public appearance, coupled with an intense program of activity, served as a direct and uncompromising rebuttal to all skeptics—chief among them mercenary commentators like Mohamed Sifaoui—who attempted to portray President Tebboune as absent from the management of state affairs.
An Appearance that Dispels Rumors and Counters Malicious Campaigns
By personally welcoming a number of African heads of state and dignitaries upon their arrival in Algeria, and by presiding over the inauguration of the continent’s largest economic exhibition, President Tebboune delivered the clearest and most forceful response to those smear campaigns. He appeared in full command, speaking with confidence before participating delegations, and sending decisive political and economic messages that confirmed he is firmly steering the affairs of the nation at a pivotal juncture in its history.
Algeria at the Heart of the Continent: A High-Caliber African Presence
The Fair, hosted in Algiers, was marked by the attendance of influential African figures, adding significant symbolic weight to President Tebboune’s appearance. Among them was former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, who declared that “Algeria today is placing Africa on the right path toward integration.” Likewise, Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President of Afreximbank, praised Algeria’s ability to bring together African leaders in a single event that embodies political will and continental solidarity.
President Tebboune also received leaders and senior officials from across North and Sub-Saharan Africa, including Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali, and the Chairman of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed El-Menfi, alongside a high-level delegation from Mauritania.
The event further witnessed the presence of senior officials from the African Union Commission, including representatives of the AfCFTA Secretariat, as well as key figures from the African Development Bank and Afreximbank. This distinguished presence was far more than ceremonial protocol: it reflected the growing trust vested in Algeria as a rising regional power, capable of playing a central role in driving Africa’s economic and political integration, and serving as a catalyst for reshaping the continent’s cooperation frameworks.
Bilateral and Multilateral Meetings: Strengthening Maghreb and African Solidarity
On the sidelines of the Fair, President Tebboune held a series of bilateral and collective meetings with African leaders, including Sahrawi President Brahim Ghali, Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed, Libyan leader Mohamed El-Menfi, and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani. Discussions revolved around reinforcing Maghreb cooperation and coordinating positions on regional and international issues, particularly concerning security in the Sahel, the revival of the Arab Maghreb Union, and unwavering support for just causes, foremost among them the Palestinian struggle and the Sahrawi people’s right to self-determination.
The quadrilateral meeting that gathered the leaders of Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania, and Western Sahara carried deep political resonance. It reaffirmed the imperative of reviving Maghreb and African solidarity, while underscoring the need to confront shared challenges through coordinated efforts in economics, security, and diplomacy.
Political Messages: A Blow to the Makhzen and a Defense of African Sovereignty
President Tebboune’s keynote address at the Fair’s opening was laden with unmistakable political symbolism. He underscored that “Africa can only be built through African decisions and by the will of its peoples,” a clear repudiation of the external dictates that the Moroccan Makhzen regime and its allies seek to impose on the continent. He also reaffirmed Algeria’s steadfast support for just causes, particularly the Palestinian question and the Sahrawi people’s legitimate right to self-determination. This position, consistent with Algeria’s historic trajectory, cements its status as an unyielding defender of peoples’ sovereignty.
An African Leader with a Visionary Outlook
President Tebboune’s presence at this critical moment projected the image of an African statesman determined to leave his mark on the continent. He insisted on the need to activate the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a practical framework for enhancing intra-African trade and increasing its volume to secure true economic sovereignty. He further highlighted Algeria’s strategic investments in infrastructure, logistics corridors, and ports, positioning the country as a bridge connecting North and South, East and West Africa.
Tebboune emphasized that Algeria is not merely a host country, but a strategic partner intent on steering the path of African integration in service of shared interests and the opening of new horizons for development.
The Symbolism of a Powerful Appearance
Analysts concurred that President Tebboune’s leadership of this major continental event went far beyond protocol. It was a stinging blow to the Moroccan Makhzen’s propaganda machine, which had sought to exploit rumors to tarnish Algeria’s leadership. At the same time, it embodied Algeria’s central place in Africa and sent a crystal-clear message that under Tebboune’s leadership, Algeria is steadily asserting itself as a key player in shaping the future of the continent.
President Tebboune’s presence at the heart of this landmark event was not a fleeting political image, but an unequivocal declaration of Algeria’s powerful role in Africa, and of a leadership that confronts its adversaries with deeds rather than words. It underscored a nation determined to entrench its place as a rising African power and as the voice of peoples striving for sovereignty and development.
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