Trump’s Return: 2 Signs Revealing Algeria’s Panic

lemediterraneen24

2 weeks ago

According to well-informed sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Military Regime of Algiers, afraid of Donald Trump’s return to the White House after last week’s U.S. elections, rushed to revise its foreign policy and its strategic alliances. The foreign intelligence services of the Military Regime of Algiers have just presented its Presidency with a report regarding a Country that intends to withdraw its recognition of the Polisario Front, the movement advocating for Western Sahara independence.

Emergency meetings were held in Algiers as officials scramble to mitigate and possibly reverse the decision. The fact that in the new Trump administration, the Polisario Front might be classified as a terrorist organization seems to be one of many speculations concerning what the Military Regime of Algiers is afraid of. In such a case, this would certainly lead to the fall of the Military Regime of Algiers, as supporting this group has been the fundamental of its ideology and doctrine.

NATO Partnership to Secure Energy Interests
The Algerian military regime has announced a cooperation agreement with NATO to protect its oil and gas infrastructure. Energy Minister Mohamed Arkab stressed the “extreme importance” of this protection during the visit of a delegation from the NATO Parliamentary Assembly to Algiers in early November. This decision, taken in the context of the low-intensity conflict between the Polisario Front and Morocco, marks a move away from Algeria’s traditionally close ties with Russia and China, and a potential rapprochement with the West on energy security issues. The partnership aims to strengthen Algerian capabilities in cybersecurity and risk management, and enable a strategic maneuver by the Algerian regime to position itself favorably with the Western powers, while maintaining pressure on Morocco via the ongoing conflict with the Polisario Front, with low-intensity attacks as a backdrop.

Abdelmadjid Tebboune receives a delegation from the NATO Parliament, in the presence of Salah Goudjil, Saïd Chanegriha, Boualem Boualem, Aïssa Naili. Discussions focused on political issues, regional security challenges and gave the delegation an in-depth view of Algeria’s defense spending.

The NATO delegation’s tweet on X (formerly Twitter) “during the meetings, delegates discussed a range of policy issues, regional security challenges and gained deeper insight into Algeria’s defence spending”, illustrates a striking contradiction. Just a few months ago, the Algerian media were loudly denouncing the “distant Western empire” and presenting NATO as a direct threat to Algeria’s sovereignty. Today, in a striking about-turn, the military regime in Algiers not only requests NATO’s help in security matters, but seems to be discussing and justifying its own defense budget of USD 21 billion for 2024 (USD 25 billion for 2025), a sensitive and hitherto jealously guarded subject. This illustrates a desperation, but also a willingness to strategically rewrite the national narrative in response to interests that have become critical. It also reveals a pragmatism at ease with its contradictions, a central element of the Algerian military regime’s foreign policy.

Media Leadership Shake-Up

Meanwhile, a change occurred in the leadership of AL24 News, the international news channel owned by the Algiers Military Regime: the replacement of Salim Aggar, considered until recently to be untouchable due to his close ties to Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s inner circle, with Hichem Melaksou, a former local staffer in the Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy in Algiers. Melaksou, previously responsible for media outreach at the U.S. Embassy, is well-versed in U.S. soft power media strategies and familiar with the media landscape in Algiers. Melaksou’s appointment is an attempt to rebrand Algeria’s international media outreach with a more polished, Western-friendly image, akin to networks like Al Jazeera or Russia Today. This is a strong clear signal of a calculated attempt at astroturfing Algeria’s media presence, toning its messaging to appeal to Western-American audiences.

Salim Aggar, Hafid Derradji, Hichem Melaksou, at AL24 headquarters.

Strategic Calculations Amid Geopolitical Shifts
These strategic moves tip off the Military Regime in Algiers of being conscious of geopolitical winds that have been turning against its interests and are taking concrete steps to ensure its survival. With such strengthening of ties with NATO, and appointment of a former U.S. Embassy staffer at its international propaganda media, the Military Regime of Algiers most likely aims at trying to prevent the future U.S. administration from withdrawing recognition of the Polisario Front or going even further by designating it as a terrorist organization.

Security forces stand guard outside a potential site for an American consulate in Dakhla, Western Sahara, in January 2024.

However, it remains uncertain whether these efforts will achieve the intended results, especially on convincing a Trump administration which has already taken a stance on the issue. The opening of an American consulate in Dakhla is imminent, marking a definitive blow to the issue. It might be too little, too late, in the face of larger geopolitical forces. The coming weeks will reveal more.

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