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Showing posts with the label ALGERIA

Western Sahara: France's major strategic error in the face of a vital Algerian interest and Moroccan expansionist ambitions

France’s decision to recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara is neither a mere diplomatic adjustment nor an act of pragmatic realism. It is a profound strategic miscalculation—one that reflects a flawed understanding of power dynamics in the Maghreb and a significant misreading of the Algerian state , its vital interests, and its stabilizing role in the region. In seeking what it perceived as a comfortable partnership with Rabat, Paris underestimated a fundamental reality: Western Sahara represents an absolute red line for Algeria , touching simultaneously upon its historical doctrine, its national security, and the regional balance of power in the face of Moroccan territorial ambitions . I. Western Sahara: Algeria’s Non‑Negotiable Vital Interest Contrary to the dominant European view, which reduces Western Sahara to a localized territorial dispute, Algeria regards it as an existential issue embedded in its post‑independence strategic doctrine. 1. A doctrinal constant root...

Western Sahara: Resolution 2797, the Autonomy Illusion, and the Reality of Sovereignty

Since the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2797 , the Western Sahara file has entered a new phase—one marked less by legal progress than by an intensified battle of narratives. Morocco, supported by certain Western diplomatic circles, has sought to portray its autonomy plan as a definitive, irreversible solution endowed with international legitimacy. Yet a careful reading of the resolution, combined with a strict application of international law , reveals a far more sobering reality: the conflict remains legally unresolved, and Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara has never been established.   Official and unofficial accounts of the Madrid talks converge on a fundamental point often obscured by Moroccan discourse: the United States failed to impose the autonomy plan as the sole outcome of the negotiations. The Sahrawi side , backed by Algeria, maintained a firm and principled stance centered on the right to self-determination as the cornerstone of any ...

The Figuig Dam: A Blatant Violation of International Water Law and a Deliberate Act of Water Warfare Against Algeria

Morocco’s decision to construct one of its largest strategic dams in Figuig , only a few kilometers from the Algerian border, is neither accidental nor driven by purely domestic development considerations. It is a calculated and hostile political act, aimed at establishing unilateral control over shared transboundary water resources , in flagrant disregard of international law and the most basic principles of good-neighborly relations. The so-called “Khenk Kro” Dam, with a storage capacity exceeding one billion cubic meters and an estimated cost of approximately 120 million US dollars, is officially presented by Rabat as a cornerstone of its “water security strategy.” In reality, it constitutes a direct threat to Algeria’s water, environmental, agricultural, and human security, particularly in the region of Béni Ounif, as well as Béchar and the wider south-western Algerian territories. From a legal standpoint, this project represents a serious breach of international norms governing s...

Madrid, February 2026: A negotiating sequence that further complicates Rabat’s hand

The consultations held in Madrid on the Western Sahara dossier—under direct U.S. stewardship—signal a qualitative shift in how the file is being managed: Washington is increasingly setting the pace while the United Nations recedes to an observer role, according to convergent coverage from Spanish, regional, and international outlets.  1) An unprecedented framework: Washington “leads,” the UN observes Multiple reputable outlets report that on February 8, 2026 , a closed‑door meeting took place inside the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, gathering four high‑level delegations—Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario Front—with UN envoy Staffan de Mistura present more as an observer than as the driver, while U.S. officials Massad Boulos (special representative for Africa) and Michael Waltz (U.S. ambassador to the UN) ran point. The Madrid session followed a first, secret 48‑hour contact in Washington roughly two weeks earlier—an unmistakable sign that the U.S. has moved from “facilitator...

Between Sanctions and Strategic Realities: Algeria as a Pivotal U.S. Partner amid Russia’s Airpower Turn

At first glance, the renewed discussion surrounding potential U.S. sanctions against Algeria —triggered by reports of advanced Russian arms acquisitions—may suggest an approaching strategic rift between Algiers and Washington. A calm and rigorous reading, however, leads to a very different conclusion: the United States has neither the interest nor the strategic logic to destabilize Algeria, a cornerstone of North African security, a key stabilizing force in the Sahel , and a long-standing partner in counter-terrorism efforts. It is within this broader strategic framework that recent developments concerning the Su-57 in Algeria and the export “rebound” of the Su-35 must be assessed—beyond headlines, through images, open-source intelligence, and the carefully calibrated messaging of major powers. U.S. Sanctions: A Political Lever, Not a Strategy of Rupture The CAATSA framework , routinely invoked whenever Russian arms deals are mentioned, functions primarily as a political deterrent to...

Ksar Ich after El Arja and Oued Zelmou: when an unfinished boundary demarcation intersects with the fight against trafficking along the Algerian-Moroccan border

Beyond the silent palm groves and the wadis with contested names, the Algerian-Moroccan border remains one of the places where history, law, and security intersect with the greatest intensity. Ksar Ich , following El Arja and Oued Zelmou , is not an accident: it is a symptom. A symptom of a line inherited and legally recognized, yet materially incomplete; and also of a discreet but constant front against cross-border trafficking that undermines sovereignty and threatens regional stability. A Border Episode Laden with Symbolism The events reported in early February 2026 in the Ksar Ich sector, on the edge of Figuig , immediately stirred collective memory. Placement of markers, removal of fences, nocturnal aerial shots—the sequence, primarily reported by Moroccan media, was described as a “provocation.” On the Algerian side, there were no loud political statements, no verbal escalations. Only a constant: the securing of the national border amidst heightened criminal pressures. It is im...

Gara Djebilet and the Southwest Railway Line: Why is this dual Algerian launch generating so much emotion and commentary in Morocco?

The dual launch of operations at the Gara Djebilet mine and the 950‑kilometre Tindouf–Béchar railway line has triggered an unusual wave of reactions, emotions, and commentary—far beyond economic and technical circles. This surge is neither random nor exaggerated: it reflects issues of sovereignty, historical memory, regional propaganda, and strategic projection that go far beyond the simple scope of an infrastructure project. 1. A project that cracks an old irredentist narrative For decades, part of the Moroccan propaganda machine —carried by media outlets close to the royal palace—has promoted the idea of an alleged “Moroccan identity” of the Algerian wilayas of Béchar and Tindouf . This narrative deliberately ignores international legal realities, including the 1972 Algeria–Morocco border treaty , which has been ratified, registered, and submitted to the United Nations . Yet Algeria does more than simply assert its rights: it brings them to life on the ground. By investing billions ...

Algerian GDP, international audits, and a Moroccan obsession: when controversy replaces analysis

For several months now, a well‑identified group of Moroccan commentators—among them Rachid Achichi and other self‑proclaimed “experts” in economics and geopolitics—has been devoting disproportionate energy to challenging the way Algeria’s GDP is calculated. This repetitive and often approximate fixation says less about Algeria’s economic reality than about Morocco’s strategic unease in the face of shifting regional power dynamics. 1. Algeria’s GDP: a controlled accounting framework, not a political invention Contrary to the recurring insinuations, Algeria’s GDP is neither improvised data nor an ideological construction. It is established in accordance with the System of National Accounts (SNA), a universal international framework, and is subject to external audits, verifications and validations conducted by international financial institutions. The more accurate integration of the informal economy —common practice in most emerging countries—is a methodological rebasing exercise, not...

Gara Djebilet: Understanding the Real Strategic Stakes Behind Algeria’s Iron Ore Megaproject

The Gara Djebilet iron ore project has, for some commentators, become a convenient symbol of what they portray as Algeria’s inability to execute large‑scale industrial undertakings. Their central argument is now familiar: the high phosphorus content of the ore would make the project economically unviable . This claim, repeated confidently, does not withstand either technical scrutiny or serious economic analysis. It reflects an outdated understanding of modern mining , rather than an informed assessment of the project’s industrial logic. Phosphorus: A Known and Anticipated Technical Challenge — Not a Structural Obstacle It is true that the ore at Gara Djebilet contains a higher phosphorus content than what is typically acceptable in standard steelmaking. However, in contemporary mining, such constraints are neither unusual nor prohibitive. Processes for phosphorus removal — advanced magnetic separation, direct reduction, selective roasting, thermochemical treatments — are well-estab...

France 2 and the hunt for French-Algerians: when suspicion becomes deliberate

The latest report aired by Complément d’enquête on France 2 can hardly be described as neutral journalism. Presented under the guise of investigative reporting, it subtly disseminates suspicion toward a specific category of French elected officials—those holding dual French-Algerian nationality —by insinuating, without concrete evidence, the existence of divided loyalties or opaque networks of influence. The timing of the broadcast, less than two months before the municipal elections, cannot be dissociated from the French domestic political context. It transforms journalism from a tool of inquiry into an indirect instrument of political influence. The implicit message conveyed to viewers is unmistakable: being Franco-Algerian is equated with being suspect. Such stigmatization is not only unjust; it is dangerous, as it undermines democratic coexistence by portraying a segment of citizens as inherently incompatible with the Republic. A One-Sided Investigation What stands out most in th...