Concerns Grow Over French-Algerian Writer’s Disappearance After Arrival in Algiers

Rabat – Boualem Sansal, a prominent French-Algerian writer, has been out of contact since his arrival in Algiers from Paris last Saturday, sparking growing concerns among his publishers, friends, and associates.

The novelist, known for his critical writings about the Algerian government, is feared to have been detained by authorities upon his arrival in the Algerian capital.

According to the French news outlet Marianne, Sansal has not been heard from since he arrived in Algiers on Saturday, November 16.

Close associates claim that the writer has been arrested by the police and imprisoned by the regime. This report has fueled concerns that the Algerian government is targeting those who speak out too strongly against its policies.

Sansal, who is known for his critique of the Algerian regime as well as his warnings about the threat posed by Islamists, has always refused to bend to pressures from Algiers. In an interview with Marianne, he once remarked, “In Algeria, everything is locked down,” referring to the oppressive climate for free expression in the country.

Despite his works being censored, he continues to visit Algeria regularly, balancing his life between France and his homeland.

A rising tide of repression?

Sansal’s alleged arrest may stem from controversial remarks he made during one of his interviews, in which he said, “The Polisario was created by the Algerian regime.” He referred to the regime as its “military.”

Additionally, he offered his view on the history of North Africa and Moroccan territorial sovereignty. , “When France colonized Algeria, much of Algeria’s western region, including Tlemcen and Oran, was actually part of Morocco.”

These comments challenge the official narrative upheld by the Algerian government and could have played a major role in the growing tensions that have led to his disappearance.

This alleged arrest would not be an isolated incident of censorship by the Algerian regime.

In recent years, the Algerian government has cracked down on Algerian writers who challenge the regime’s narrative, seeing them as a threat to its control.

This climate of censorship and repression was evident earlier this month when Kamel Daoud, an Algerian writer was awarded the prestigious literary award Prix Goncourt on November 4 for his novel Houris.

Instead of celebrating this milestone, the Algerian government responded by launching judicial proceedings against Daoud.

He was accused of “defamation of the victims of terrorism” and violating the law on national reconciliation, due to his raw portrayal of the country’s civil war in his novel.

Before the legal action, Daoud and his publisher, Gallimard, had already been banned from entering Algeria, preventing them from attending the Algiers International Book Fair.

A similar incident occurred recently with Hichem Aboud, an Algerian political opponent and journalist, who has been missing for at least three days after arriving in Spain last month.

Aboud, also a prominent media figure living in exile in France since 1997, has long been a target of Algerian authorities.

On the day of his disappearance, he shared a video in which he said that he was facing new assassination attempts from Algerian intelligence services.

Strained relations

As the disappearance of Sansal raises further alarm, it fits into a broader pattern of growing repression faced by intellectuals and writers in Algeria.

Sansal’s case, following closely on the heels of Daoud and Aboud’s, paints a picture of a regime determined to stifle dissent and control the narrative at all costs.

The international community now watches closely, with many hoping for a swift resolution to Sansal’s case and for the writer’s safe return.

This incident also marks another troubling chapter in the relationship between France and Algeria, which has been increasingly down the rocky road in recent years, particularly following France’s recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.

If the allegations of his arrest are confirmed, the French government will likely demand explanations from Algiers, a move that could further strain the already tense relationship between the two countries.