General Võ Nguyên Giáp lives on in people’s mind: Algerian Ambassador

General Secretary and President Tô Lâm receives Algerian Ambassador to Việt Nam Sofiane Chaib (left) for the presentation of credentials on August 12. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Võ Nguyên Giáp was a military leader of the greatest stature, a strategist of the “people’s war” and a faithful representative of the thought of President Hồ Chí Minh, said Algerian Ambassador to Việt Nam Sofiane Chaib.

In an interview granted to the Việt Nam News Agency on the occasion of the 11th anniversary of General Võ Nguyên Giáp’s passing (October 4, 2013-2024), the diplomat highlighted that besides the prestige and respect he won through his victories on the military field, the General devoted his entire life to serving his homeland and his people.

His destiny as a hero who gloriously accomplished his patriotic duty is intertwined with the most significant stages in the history of Việt Nam, Ambassador Chaib said.

“This is undoubtedly the reason why General Giáp remains present in the memory of the friendly Vietnamese people, as I was able to notice during the recent funeral of his late wife, which I personally attended. He is also present for the Algerian people who will never forget this friend whose name will always remain engraved in their memory.”

For the Algerian people, General Giáp represents a central link in the historic relations of solidarity between Algeria and Việt Nam, serving as a key figure in the most beautiful chapters of the two countries’ shared history, both before and after Algeria’s independence, according to the diplomat.

“This military hero of Vietnamese independence had special ties with Algeria, which he visited several times and where he delivered his famous speech in 1980 declaring that colonialists are bad students of history. This formula has remained proverbial in Algeria and my country always strives to perpetuate this collective memory which represents an inestimable heritage in the historical relations of friendship, solidarity and cooperation uniting us with Việt Nam.”

He added that the relationship between the two nations is rooted in Algeria’s support for Việt Nam during its national liberation struggle and after its independence, as well as Vietnam’s assistance to Algeria during its fight for sovereignty and unity, and in its post-war reconstruction efforts.

Ambassador Sofiane Chaib highlighted that the major episode of Điện Biên Phủ in May 1954, of which General Giáp was the mastermind, serves as an influential example and a great encouragement to the Algerian Revolution which was triggered only a few months later.

He said this historic battle continues to be taught in Algerian school textbooks and its force of attraction was conceptualised, in 1958, under the expression of “guide territory” by Algerian activist and thinker Frantz Fanon who wrote: “Between colonized peoples, there seems to exist a kind of enlightening and sacred communication which makes each liberated territory promoted for a certain time to the rank of ‘guide territory’. The independence of a new territory, the liberation of a new people is felt by other oppressed countries as an invitation, an encouragement and a promise.”

Through his impressive literary heritage, General Giáp has also bequeathed to future generations, both in Việt Nam and those belonging to countries which know the price of independence and freedom, a clearer vision of the character of the Vietnamese people, its cultural traditions, and its capacity for resilience, the diplomat added.

“We are also delighted that Võ Hồng Nam, son of General Võ Nguyên Giáp, and Trần Văn Bình, son of Major General Trần Văn Quang, whose fathers both contributed significantly to the victory of Điện Biên PHủ, were elected members of the executive committee of the International Association of Friends of the Algerian Revolution. This association, founded in Algiers in July 2023, aims precisely to promote the activism of the friends of the Algerian Revolution,” the diplomat said.

The memorial segment of the bilateral relations is a unique foundation crucial to promote and popularise for the present and future generations of the two countries, the diplomat said, adding that during each visit to Hà Nội, Algerian ministerial delegations ensure that memorial activities are included, with a special tribute to General Võ Nguyên Giáp.

“I also think that Algeria is the only country with two avenues named after former President Hồ Chí Minh. There is also the film ‘Lotus’, jointly produced by Algeria and Việt Nam, on the human ties woven between our two peoples during the battle of Điện Biên Phủ, as well as the theatrical work of the famous Kateb Yacine entitled ‘The Man with Rubber Sandals’. On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Điện Biên Phủ victory in May this year, Algeria hosted a film crew from the Việt Nam Military Radio and Television Center, as part of the production of a documentary entitled ‘Điện Biên Phủ seen from Africa’,” the diplomat said.

In Africa in general, General Giáp’s military successes have been a major reference for peoples fighting for their independence, according Ambassador Sofiane Chaib. In particular, the victory of Điện Biên Phủ was a catalyst that led to an irresistible dynamic movement towards the armed struggle of countries under colonial domination in order to gain their independence, he concluded. — VNS