RT opens office in Algeria, stays out of Morocco
Russia Today (RT) confirmed that they opened offices in Algeria on December 7, reports Agence Ecofin.
It was confirmed by RT Arabic Director Maya Manna that the controversial Russian state broadcaster will be in cooperation with Algerian news outfit Al24 News as the two outlets held a signing ceremony in Algiers.
RT has been banned in various European countries such as the Germany and the UK in early 2022 shortly after Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
On March 18, 2022, Ofcom, the United Kindom’s broadcasting regulator, revoked the news channel’s UK broadcasting licence with immediate effect, claiming it was not a “fit and proper” and “responsible” outlet.
READ: Algeria and Russia ramp up relations
Notably, left-wing firebrand and former British MP George Galloway was a presenter on RT UK until the channel had their broadcasting licence cancelled.
Manna commented on the opening of an RT bureau in the North African country saying, “From now on, we will share with our audience with the Algerian perspective on current events from our office in Algeria. We want to be closer to our audience, broaden the scope of our cooperation with Algeria and provide comprehensive coverage of developments across the African region,”
Algeria has had positive ties with sanction-hit Russia, as well as China, since the invasion of Ukraine and is turning their back on France, an ex-colonial power that the country gained its independence from during the Algerian War, a major armed conflict which took place from 1954 until 1962.
Neighbouring Morocco’s ties with the French have also been strained particularly since Emmanuel Macron became President back in 2017.
The RT Arabic chief also announced the launch of the Studio Algeria show. It will be aired from Algeria and becomes the fifth of the channel not to be broadcast from RT’s headquarters in Moscow.
Agence Ecofin/RT
