Rabat – Algeria has terminated the contracts of two senior officials working at its flag carrier Air Algerie, following a Tlemcen marketing campaign on the country’s history with Morocco.
The First Ministry announced the news on Saturday last week, sacking Air Algerie’s president and general director, Bekhouch Elach, and another official whose name is not disclosed in the report.
Ennahar Online, an Algerian state media, reported that the decision is due to the officials’ mismanagement of the national carrier, but the timing of it could suggest otherwise.
Days before the decision, Air Algerie came under fire for posting a Facebook advertisement explaining Tlemcen’s Spanish and Moroccan heritage. The airline retracted the post hours later.
The incident suggests Algeria’s politically-triggered denial of historical facts, and that it could be attempting to rewrite history.
As part of its marketing campaign, Air Algerie had shared an initial Facebook that read: “Proud of its prosperous, glorious history, its Spanish-Moroccan runes, and its Andalusi style, Tlemcen is a city of art and history earning her the nickname of the ‘Pearl of the Maghreb.’”
But all parts mentioning Morocco or Spain were scrapped hours later, with the new post reading: “Proud of its prosperous, glorious history, Tlemcen is a city of art and history earning her the nickname of the ‘Pearl of the Maghreb.’”
This is not the first time Algeria has appeared to be attempting to rewrite history. In recent months and years, the country has notoriously claimed parts of Morocco’s heritage as its own, including Moroccan cuisine and traditional outfits.
Tlemcen’s history stretches far before the establishment of modern-day Algeria.
Dating back to the 4th century AD, the city was passed from one civilization to another and fell under the rule of ancient dynasties that had ruled Morocco over the centuries.
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