Algeria Appoints New Envoy for Western Sahara Amid Diplomatic Tensions with Morocco

The Sahara issue is more than ever at the heart of Algerian diplomacy. On Monday, the government adopted in the Council of Ministers an action plan focused in particular on strengthening national security and defense and the implementation of an "active and proactive" foreign policy. In this sense, it has appointed several diplomats to various positions of responsibility. Among them, Amar Belani, former spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who will be in charge of the Sahara issue. This diplomat has held several ambassador positions, the most recent of which was with the Kingdom of Belgium and with the European Union and NATO.

The Sahara issue remains one of the reasons why Algiers says it has cut ties with Rabat. Last December, Morocco normalized its diplomatic relations with Israel in exchange for American recognition of the kingdom’s sovereignty over the Sahara. Diplomatic achievements that Algeria has still not accepted.