Reasons behind the slow decay of Algerian diplomacy

Morocco World News/ Maghreb Intelligence

September 9, 2011

The hesitation of Algerian diplomacy on the issue of Libya has reinforced the idea- becoming more widespread among accredited embassies in Algiers- that the Algerian diplomatic machine that was so feared in the past, is a mere shadow of its former self. For over eight years, Algerian diplomacy struggles to impose itself in what were, until recently, its favorite fields, namely Africa and Latin America.

According to observers, several reasons are behind this decline. The first reason is, paradoxically, linked to the arrival of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Flamboyant diplomat and outstanding speaker, the president has marginalized the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the benefit of personal relationships he has with the heads of states from other countries.

In addition, the diplomatic cell of El Mouradia (headquarters of the Algerian Presidency) supplanted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the considerationof important issues. One must point out that that the personality of Mohamed Bedjaoui, a brilliant jurist who presided over the fate of Algeria’s diplomacy before the arrival of Mourad Medelci, has not helped matters. A Francophile and highly respected in Europe, Bedjaoui has rarely been attentive of relations with the Arab and African countries, which he practically did not visit during his tenure.

According to former Algerian diplomats, the only merit of the incumbent Minister of Foreign Affairs is to be born in Tlemcen, in the west of the country. Medelci has spent his entire career in the Ministries of Trade and Finance. This means that the man suffers from total ignorance of the geopolitical issues of the moment. According to one diplomatic source in Algiers, the real head of Algerian diplomacy is now Abdelkader Messahel, in charge of Maghreb and African Affairs. Messahel is the one who sets the tone on the issue of the Sahel, regarding relations with African countries and even in the case of Libya, he is said to be very influential.

On the other hand, Paris, one of the “strongholds” of Algerian diplomacy, is virtually at a standstill. Missoum Sbih, very close to Bouteflika, whose son had been involved in a sensational scandal a few years ago, is decried in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Senior officers of the Ministry find Missoum Sbih conveys  a poor image to Algeria, especially since he has not sufficiently mastered the right networks in Paris. According to a former ambassador, several executives of the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs have considered writing an open letter to the public to denounce the “downward spiral” of what, twenty years ago, was one of the most powerful diplomacies the in the world.