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Rabat – The Algerian regime is again at the center of a controversy for challenging an AU vote that granted Rwanda the rights to host the African Medicines Agency.
Meeting at the 41st session of the Executive Council of the African Union in Lusaka, Zambia, African countries on Saturday voted for Rwanda’s bid to be the host of the African Medicines Agency.
But the results of the vote stunned the Algerian regime, which went to extreme lengths to challenge the vote by suggesting that Algeria would have been a far better headquarters for the African agency than a “small” and poor East African country such as Rwanda.
Following the massive votes in favor of Rwanda’s application to be the headquarters of the African Medicines Agency, Algerian media attributed the failure of Algeria’s bid to “strong hostile lobbying” against the North African country’s candidacy.
“We lost in the final round. There was strong lobbying against Algeria’s candidacy,” a government source told Algerian news outlet TSA.
Meanwhile, the Algerian news outlet went too far to question Rwanda’s ability to host the event, describing it as a “small” East African country with a “poverty rate of 55%.”
Describing the Algerian pharmaceutical industry as “flourishing,” TSA added Algeria was “well placed” to host the headquarters of the African agency.
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In response, Senegalese news outlet Senego reported that Algeria’s rejection of the AU Executive Council’s decision in favor of Rwanda spoke volumes about the Algerian regime’s contempt and increasingly waning diplomatic clout on the continental scene.
“Isolated, this country can no longer influence the sovereign decision of African countries despite its lobbying within the confines of the Executive council in Lusaka,” the Senegalese news outlet said of Algeria.
The outlet further criticized Algeria’s regime for its attempts to “induce Rwanda to cede the first place in the rankings,” saying the attempts caused “astonishment and indignation among the participants in this council.”
To hijack the results of the vote, Algeria notably vowed to allocate a $200 million financial fund as well to take care of all fees for the operationalization of the headquarters during the first two years to secure a favorable vote for its candidacy, Senego reported.
In what appeared to be a flagrant violation of diplomatic values, Algeria’s Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, reportedly offered the Rwandan delegation “general management” at the continental medicines agency, in return for its withdrawal in favor of Algerian application.
“For many diplomats, such blackmail is clearly an insult to the intelligence of representatives of African countries,” Senego said.
