As expected, Algeria wanted to take advantage of the situation between Russia and Ukraine to offer its “mediation”. Algeria, even devoid of diplomatic weight, and while conducting an aggressive and offensive policy against its immediate neighbor, Morocco, is seeking a media stunt that does not materialize.
Blowing on the embers of the Sahara issue and conceding that it is the priority of its diplomacy – while refusing to recognize its responsibility and refusing the UN’s call to join the political process of the round tables – Algeria wants to position itself as a “peacemaker” between Ukraine and Russia.
A funny idea for this country which refused the mediation of several Arab countries and supposed “brothers” to settle its own dispute with Morocco. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s visit to Russia this week to meet his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin saw a proposal similar to that of the Arab states, signed by Algiers.
This proposal, as absurd as it seems, was expected to say the least, given that Algeria is not on its first attempt at brilliance and bluster. Algiers had already sought to resemble the Palestinian factions under the tears of Abdelmadjid Tebboune, wanted to have Syria readmitted to the Arab League, claim the merits of progress in the Libyan file, etc.
All of this, while carrying out a double discourse at the same time since Algeria, which has presented itself as an actor wanting to make peace between Kiev and Moscow, is doing everything in its power to undermine the efforts of the international community to resolve the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara in which it is the first destabilizing player in the North African region.
You don’t have to look far to understand the intentions behind this desire to play mediators. In Algeria, everything is linked to the question of the Sahara and any opportunity that presents itself must be used to reverse the diplomatic successes of Morocco.
Here, the Algerian regime seeks to show Russia that it is on its side and that it is available to prevent it from adopting a favorable position in Morocco. Russia, which is not fooled, knows full well what intentions are behind this proposal, and does not doubt the non-existent capacities of Algerian diplomacy.
Through this proposal, the Algerian regime would like to give the illusion that it would have diplomatic weight and the tools of influence that could reverse the world trend on the subject of the Sahara, and defend the separatist thesis of the polisario and, its message is addressed to the international community.
Moreover, its announcement of mediation remains unilateral since Ukraine has not deemed it necessary to respond to it. Obviously, Kiev knows Algeria’s positions and expects nothing from a low-impact regime, unable to measure the extent of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.