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From the MiG-25 era to the consolidation of a regional power: Algeria's strategic trajectory

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Western Sahara: The Illusion of Victory and the Reality of Power Dynamics

For several months, a deliberate campaign has sought to impose a simple idea: the question of Western Sahara is settled, sealed, irreversible. Morocco, we are told, is no longer negotiating anything; it is merely formalizing a sovereignty already acquired. Washington’s mission, according to this narrative, would be to persuade the Polisario Front to place its signature at the bottom of an agreement whose terms are supposedly already written. This staging aims to produce a psychological effect: to create the impression that history has already ended. Yet in diplomacy, declaring a conflict resolved does not resolve it. Rhetoric may precede reality; it never replaces it. Resolution 2797: A Diplomatic Instrument, Not a Blank Check Resolution 2797 is presented as the definitive consecration of autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty . But a strategic reading suggests something quite different. The Security Council: describes the Moroccan initiative as “serious and credible”; calls for a poli...

Algeria’s Acquisition of the Su‑57E: A Strategic Shift Reshaping the Maghreb Balance of Power

Algeria’s acquisition of the Russian Su‑57E , one of the world’s most advanced fifth‑generation fighter jets, marks a major development in the regional military landscape. Frequently compared to the American F‑35 for its stealth and advanced combat capabilities, the aircraft’s entry into Algerian service signals a significant technological leap with far‑reaching strategic consequences for the Maghreb . A Technological Breakthrough with Regional Implications By introducing the Su‑57E into its arsenal, Algeria becomes the first Arab and African country to deploy a fifth‑generation fighter jet. Images circulating online, followed by official confirmation of an order estimated at a dozen aircraft, reinforce analysts’ assessments that Algeria is pursuing a long‑term strategy centered on: strengthening its deterrence posture, maintaining a qualitative edge in its neighborhood, and consolidating its strategic autonomy through diversified defense partnerships. This approach aligns with Alger...

Laurent Nuñez’s Visit to Algeria: Security De‑escalation, Political Recalibration, or Crisis Management by Other Means?

French media coverage of Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez’s mid‑February visit to Algeria largely framed it as a practical, security-first step —a move designed to cool tensions after an extended diplomatic freeze and what commentators described as one of the sharpest crises in bilateral relations in years. Most outlets emphasized the technical nature of the trip: restoring working channels, reactivating operational coordination, and tackling concrete files that had stalled amid political friction. Yet in Franco‑Algerian relations, “technical” seldom means apolitical. If anything, the choice to proceed through the security track is itself a political signal: when the strategic relationship is blocked at the top, states reopen the “functional basement” first —services, coordination mechanisms, and administrative dossiers—because it produces results while minimizing symbolic costs and domestic backlash. In short, the security lane is often the safest route to a controlled thaw without ...

In one week, Algeria erased ten years of Moroccan mirages in Africa

Since its return to the African Union, Morocco has multiplied grandiose announcements meant to illustrate a renewed pan‑African ambition. Yet these projects, often presented as engines of South‑South integration, struggle to move beyond the realm of communication and end up resembling one another in their lack of concrete implementation. Among these initiatives are: – the promise to build a capital city for South Sudan; – the Nigeria–Morocco gas pipeline project; – an Atlantic access corridor intended for Sahel countries; – and an electric cable supposedly meant to link Morocco to the United Kingdom, even though the country remains structurally dependent on electricity imports from Spain. In this context, President Tebboune’s announcement of the effective start of construction works on the Algeria–Niger–Nigeria gas pipeline, on Nigerien territory, marks a major turning point and significantly reduces the scope of the competing project promoted by Rabat. General Tiani’s visit to Algiers...

Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline: Algeria locks down the project, the Nigeria-Morocco project fades away

The announcement made by Abdelmadjid Tebboune regarding the effective launch of the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline linking Nigeria to Algeria via Niger marks a major strategic turning point in the continent’s energy geopolitics. By specifying that construction on Nigerien territory will begin immediately after the month of Ramadan, the President has sent a clear and unmistakable signal: the competing Nigeria–Morocco project now firmly belongs to the past. It is worth recalling that Algeria has already completed the section of the route located on its own territory, bringing the infrastructure all the way to the Niger border at In Guezzam—demonstrating both its preparedness and its determination to bring this large-scale energy corridor to fruition. A strong political signal This presidential announcement is not just another technical statement. It comes at a moment of global energy realignment, as Europe searches for reliable alternatives to Russian gas and energy routes increasingly...

Opening up the Sahel: between Moroccan announcements and Algerian structural strategy

The question of opening up the landlocked Sahel states — primarily Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso — has become a clear arena of geo‑economic competition in North Africa. While Morocco has intensified a media campaign promoting an initiative to grant these countries access to the Atlantic through ports located in Western Sahara , Algeria is quietly developing a genuine logistical depth by linking its Mediterranean ports to Tamanrasset , transforming it into the Sahel’s gateway to the world. The essential question is not who raises the slogan, but who actually possesses the technical, political, and financial capacity to turn it into reality. I. The Moroccan Initiative: Appealing Rhetoric, Troubling Realities At first glance, Morocco’s proposal seems attractive: an African‑solidarity narrative that promises landlocked countries a path to the Atlantic. But a closer look reveals significant structural obstacles. 1. The Infrastructure and Financing Dilemma The initiative envisions connect...