Rabat – Converging reports showcased Algeria’s calculated silence, especially after the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) confirmed its invitation to the Algerian regime’s army to participate as an observer in the African Lion 2025 military exercises.
Oualid Kebir, an Algerian analyst, confirmed the news today, sharing a response from AFRICOM about the extension of an invitation to Algeria’s army to participate as an observer.
“Algeria was invited to observe the African Lion in Tunisia. We are currently working to confirm if they are going to observe the exercise,” an executive from AFRICOM confirmed to Kebir.
However, the AFRICOM officer has not provided any further details about Algeria’s regime participation.
The Algerian army had been initially listed among the observers alongside Belgium, India, Qatar, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of the Congo, and Equatorial Guinea.
However, a new version of the announcement that confirms the official launch of the African Lion exercises scheduled to begin on April 14 in Tunisia, shows the information removed.
The premier annual exercise on the continent will extend to May, wth activities in Ghana, Senegal, and Morocco.
Algeria’s silence on its observer status invitation to the military exercise comes as it continues to publicize its long-standing public position rejecting any form of cooperation with Israel.
The Algerian regime has constantly criticized countries that have re-established ties with Israel, particularly Morocco, to frame the move as against the Palestinian cause, despite Rabat’s firm stance that its policy on Palestine remains unchanged.
Algeria’s rhetoric is part of its maneuvers to divert international attention and employ the issue to link the Palestinian cause with the Western Sahara dispute.
The Algerian regime has long used the Polisario Front to manipulate international sentiment by portraying the separatist leadership as a victim to undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity.
However, several reports have confirmed cooperation between Algeria and Israel, particularly in trade.
A report from the Economic Complexity Observatory showed in February that Algeria is the fourth among Arab countries to export goods to Israel.
I24 News picked up the data from the observatory, noting that Algeria has been engaged in trade with Israel since at least 2017, with total exports exceeding $30 million.
“In 2017, Israel exported $7k to Algeria. There were no main exports from Israel to Algeria in 2017. During the last 9 years, the exports of Israel to Algeria have decreased at an annualized rate of 34.6%, from $320k in 2008 to $7k in 2017,” said the report.
Algeria’s hypocrisy was also evident after Algeria’s president Abdelmadjid Tebboune said in February that his country is willing to normalize ties with Israel upon the establishment of a Palestinian state.
“This aligns with the position of my predecessors, Presidents Chadli and Bouteflika, who had no issue with Israel,” the Algerian leader claimed.
Yet this statement starkly contradicted the Algerian regime’s relentless and well-documented condemnation of Morocco and its diplomatic ties with Israel.
Upon its decision to cut ties with Morocco in 2021, Algeria’s regime brought up its southern neighbor’s relations with Tel Aviv and cited fears of “Zionist spies with Moroccan passports.”
