Algeria’s President Reaffirms Support for Sahrawi Self-Determination in Western Sahara Dispute

Is Abdelmadjid Tebboune making the Sahrawi cause an obsession? In a speech delivered during his visit to the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, the Algerian president affirmed the firm and unconditional commitment of his country to what he describes as the "right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination". Stating that Algeria is threatened, he assured that "national sovereignty is preserved by relying on a strong and respected army and an advanced economy".

This speech comes after the reception by Abdelmadjid Tebboune of the Polisario leader Brahim Ghali at the El Mouradia palace and the closed-door session of the UN Security Council on the United Nations Mission for the Organization of a Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO). Present at the meeting were the Chief of Defense Staff of the Algerian Army, Saïd Chanegriha, and the "Chief of Staff of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army". On the agenda: discussions focused on strengthening relations and coordinating efforts. On this occasion, Algeria expressed its support for the Polisario’s claims in the Sahara conflict.

The Sahara issue remains one of the points of friction between Rabat and Algiers, which unilaterally severed its diplomatic relations with its neighbor in 2021. The American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over the southern provinces in exchange for the normalization of Moroccan-Israeli relations, and the change in position of Spain and Germany have contributed to exacerbating tensions. Today, Algiers is trying to convince the countries that have expressed their support for the Sahara autonomy plan under Moroccan sovereignty, and have opened consulates in southern cities like Dakhla and Laâyoune, to turn their backs on Morocco.