Algeria: Response of Western governments

The reaction of Western countries to last Saturday's demonstration and events in general in Algeria has been cautious. The UK, not surprisingly in view of its recent close support of the regime, has remained mute. Requests for comments from the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton over the weekend by the EU observer were reportedly ignored.

France and the US, both wrong-footed by the course of events in North Africa and trying to play catch-up, called on Algeria to allow anti-government protests.

French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero told reporters: "What is important in our eyes is that freedom of expression is respected and that the demonstrations are able to take place freely and without violence.” He said that France welcomed the Algerian government's promise of political concessions, including a pledge to lift a two-decade state of emergency welcomed as a "step in the right direction".

US State Department spokesman Philip Crowley was equally cautious. In a statement, he said: “We note the ongoing protests in Algeria, and call for restraint on the part of the security services. … We reaffirm our support for the universal rights of the Algerian people, including assembly and expression.”

From Brussels, head of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek demanded that Algerian authorities “refrain from violence and respect their citizens' right to peaceful demonstration. Any and all demonstrators arrested should be released immediately."

Buzek also said, "The continuing state of emergency is unjustifiable and clearly hampers Algeria's prospects for the fair, peaceful and sustainable development of the country. … Opposition groups, civil society, and especially young people should have the right to freely express their criticism of the government. No government can ignore the call of its people."

Algeria may find its strongest condemnation coming from Germany. In a statement on ARD television, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said: “The German government calls on the Algerian government to renounce all recourse to violence. These are demonstrators who want freedom, who are doing nothing more than exercising a human right, to know the right to defend with dignity their point of view. “As democrats we are on the side of democrats. I have already said that about Tunisia and Egypt. I say it again now in allusion to other countries."

For more news and expert analysis about Algeria, please see Algeria Focus and Algeria Politics & Security.

© 2011 Menas Associates

Events in Egypt attract international commentary

The White House evoked President Barack Obama's 2009 speech in Cairo. It said, citing freedom of speech, a say in government and the rule of law, "What is happening in the region reminds us that, as the president said in Cairo, we have an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things."

In his State of the Union address on 25th January, Obama declared that the US stood with Tunisia "where the will of the people proved more powerful than the writ of a dictator". His officials were quick to explain he was not calling for all Arab leaders to be overthrown.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also chose a middle way between support for Egypt and a call for some reform, saying, “We support the universal right of the Egyptian people, including the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly.”

One of the toughest comments came from German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who said he was "extremely concerned" and called on all involved to show restraint. "We are seeing in the last few weeks that a country's stability is not endangered by granting civil rights. It is through the refusal of civil and human rights that societies become unstable," he said in reference to Tunisia.

Britain's Foreign Secretary William Hague said in a radio interview that it was not for other countries to dictate who should be in power, or what their tactics should be. He added, Clearly, in so many of these countries people do have legitimate grievances, which are economic and political. While every country is different, and we shouldn't try to dictate what they should do, in general I do think it's important in this situation to respond positively to legitimate demands for reform, to move towards openness, transparency and greater political freedom. That would be my advice to Egyptian leaders.

"I would urge the Egyptian government, and I have urged the Egyptian government, to respect rights of freedom of assembly and freedom of expression. It would be futile over time to try to suppress such things.”

For more news and expert analysis about Egypt, please see Egypt Politics & Security.

© 2010 Menas Associates