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Join on Telegram Rabat – Algeria, which has been attempting to shirk its responsibility as a main party to Western Sahara conflict, has again exposed its real face with its furious description of Spain’s new, supportive position on Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a “very surprising sudden shift.”
Frustrated by the Spanish government’s recent endorsement of Morocco’s Autonomy Plan, the Algerian regime has even recalled its ambassador from Madrid for consultations, saying that Spain’s decision to support Morocco’s position was a “sudden reversal.”
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote: “Algerian authorities, surprised by this sudden reversal of the position of the former administering power of Western Sahara, have decided to recall their ambassador to Madrid For consultations with immediate effect.”
Algeria, a full-fledged party to the Sahara conflict
Though only subtly hostile to Morocco’s territorial integrity, such a statement from Algeria in the immediate aftermath of Spain’s pro-Morocco change of heart on the Sahara question puts on full display the falsity of Algiers’ claim that it is not a full-fledged party to the Sahara dispute.
Algeria’s angry response to Spain’s change of position belies the Algerian regime’s long-running notion of simply being an “observer” and a concerned neighbor in the Sahara conflict. It also clearly shows Algeria’s eagerness to sabotage and undermine any developments toward a lasting political solution outside of the creation of a satellite state in southern Morocco.
The Algerian regime has long shirked its responsibility in the Sahara conflict, presenting itself as an observer and not a main party to the conflict. In particular, Algiers has defied UN Security Resolutions calling on all parties to the conflit to fully engage in the UN-led political process to contribute to finding a sustainable solution to the decades-old dispute.
With successive Algerian governments’ commitment to helping the Polisario Front’s independence claims, Algiers has had a long history of claiming to be an “observer” while hosting the Polisario and financing its “independence war” against Morocco.
In 2018, former Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdelkader Messahel clearly stated that Algeria “should not cooperate” in finding a compromise-based political solution to the decades long conflict. Instead, he argued in response to a letter King Mohammed had sent the UN, Algiers was only interested in a self-determination referendum that would ensure the creation of a state in Morocco’s southern provinces.
The dilemma of a frustrated Algeria amid Morocco’s momentum
The fact that Algeria supports the Polisario Front “does not mean that it should be involved” in negotiations to resolve the conflict over Western Sahara, he said, adding that negotiations should only be carried out between Morocco and the Polisario Front.
Most recently, the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry rejected the latest UN resolution on the Sahara conflict, describing it “irresponsible, partial, and unbalanced.”
Resolution 2602 of October 2021 provoked fury among Algerian officials as it clearly defined the Algerian regime’s responsibility in the conflict.
Adopted by the UN Security Council in October 2021, the resolution called on Algeria along with the other parties to the conflict — Morocco, Mauritania, and Polisario — to fully commit to the UN-led political process to facilitate a mutually acceptable and politically feasible solution to the Sahara dispute.
In response, the Algerian Foreign Affairs Ministry fumed at the text of the resolution, claiming that it did not “reflect the reality of the conflict,” was partial, and lacked “lucidity.”
“Algeria expresses its deep regret as to the fundamentally unbalanced approach enshrined in this text, which sorely lacks responsibility and lucidity due to the unfortunate forcing of some of the influential members of the said Council,” the Algerian ministry said last year.
For many analysts and observers, Algeria’s discernible frustration with the UN-led process is a telling statement of the country’s determination to sabotage the UN’s mediation efforts in the Sahara conflict until Algeria gets what it really wants: a puppet state in southern Morocco.
But with both the narrative and diplomatic consensus balance appearing to decisively shift in Morocco’s favor, it remains to be seen how Algeria plans to continue delaying and derailing the UN-led process and still persuasively presents itself as an “observer.”
And even more concerning for Algeria has been the sight of countries like the US, Germany, and Spain embracing Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the best route to a lasting solution to the Sahara conflict.
Just this week, both the US’ 2022 spending bill and Spain’s announcement of a historic change in its Sahara position spoke volumes about the increasing ineffectiveness of Algeria’s tireless pro-Polisario lobbying. In the coming weeks and months, it will be interesting to see how Algeria plans to strike back to undo Morocco’s government diplomatic achievements.
