Algeria celebrates on Tuesday the 60th anniversary of its independence, obtained on July 5, 1962 after 132 years of colonization and more than 7 years of war against France and approved by more than 99% of the votes during a referendum of self- determination. While Algeria was a diplomatic reference for certain African countries at the time of its independence, the country has lost much of its aura on the scene of the continent and the region.
Algeria lost the aura it had on the African continent after its independence, strong in the prestige of its war of national liberation. Since President Abdelmadjid Tebboune came to power in December 2019, Algiers has been trying to regain its place at the forefront of the African and regional diplomatic scene, for example by getting involved in the Libyan file.
The voice of Algeria had become almost inaudible since 2013 and the stroke of former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who remained at the head of the country for 20 years. But also because of internal crises that have led to a decline in the country.
For Brahim Oumansour, associate researcher at the Institute of International and Strategic Relations (Iris) and specialist in the Maghreb, Algeria has certainly retreated, but it remains an influential player within the African Union. It thus retains strong ties with certain countries such as South Africa, although it faces competition from its Moroccan neighbor, with whom diplomatic relations have been broken since last August : Morocco now leads active diplomacyparticularly on the Western Sahara issue.
However, Algeria remains an important partner, whether on the African continent, in the field of security and the fight against terrorism.
If the foreign policy of Algiers has changed a lot since its independence, good relations with Moscow are a constant, says geopolitical researcher Adlène Mohammedi, a specialist in Russia’s Arab policy. And this even if Algiers today seeks to spare its other international partners.
According to Adlène Mohammedi, Algeria has always maintained good relations with Russia since its independence
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