Lebanese President Joseph Aoun highlights Morocco's role during Algeria visit
During a joint press conference with President Tebboune, the Lebanese leader expressed his gratitude for Algeria's unwavering support for Lebanon. He also highlighted Morocco's significant role in Arab efforts aimed at resolving the Lebanese crisis.
In the presence of several Algerian officials, he remarked, «Lebanon remembers Algeria's steadfast support. Algeria has consistently been a key player in Arab initiatives to help Lebanon overcome its internal and external crises. Notably, Algeria's involvement in the Arab High Committee, alongside the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Kingdom of Morocco, was instrumental in the efforts that culminated in the approval of the Taif Agreement in Taif City».
Continuing in a diplomatic tone, the Lebanese president underscored the importance of Arab unity, stating, «The primary requirement for Arab support is for Arab nations to stand together in brotherhood for truth, goodness, and peace. This is our hope, and with this motivation, we aim to engage with every Arab country and household with love and fraternity, without interfering in each other's affairs».
Although Algerian officials refrained from commenting on the Lebanese president's remarks, his mention of Morocco was likely awkward for them, given their usual reluctance to acknowledge the Kingdom.
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Morocco World
5 hours ago
- Morocco World
Algeria Still Trapped by its Dogmas
On the occasion of the 26th anniversary of the Throne Day, King Mohammed VI reiterated, once again, his call to Algerian leaders to turn to a new page between the two countries. He recalled, with regret, the current state of relations and reaffirmed the Kingdom's willingness to engage in frank, sincere and responsible dialogue to end this impasse, which has now lasted for half a century. Already in 2018, he proposed the creation of a joint political dialogue mechanism, and in 2021 he also affirmed that the problems would never come from Morocco. This renewed offer of openness and empathy towards our eastern neighbor certainly honors the kingdom, which remains faithful to its traditions and its constant willingness to engage in sincere dialogue. It is hoped that it will enable Algerian leaders to choose this path and initiate the long-awaited direct dialogue needed to break the political deadlock that is hampering the entire Maghreb region. However, for those who know Algeria, its political-military system remains frozen in the outdated dogmas of a bygone era. For the leaders of this country, any compromise with Morocco is seen as a failure and a betrayal. To understand this phenomenon, it is necessary to look back at the history of this country. Since Algeria's independence, the National Liberation Front (FLN) and the National People's Army (ANP) have imposed a revolutionary and Third Wordlist narrative on the young, and nascent state. To this day, these two institutions monopolize power and present themselves as the sole legitimate representatives of the people, speaking on their behalf and defending their ideals. They have become the embodiment of this revolution, which sees itself as infallible and above criticism. They have imposed themselves on the people as the guarantors of national unity and the defenders of a revolutionary internationalist ideology that has not evolved since then. Over the years, this dogma, which has become a national ideology by force, prohibits any opposition to the Algerian state. Any voice criticizing this deep state is considered treasonous and a threat to national cohesion. The FLN and the ANP have thus become the heart and lungs of the country, centralizing and disseminating the state's ideology. They both provide after-sales service for this ideology, including its obsessions with Morocco and many other countries. These two institutions have taken over the entire state, controlling the army, diplomacy, the media, and entire sections of society such as education, management, and propaganda. Through this policy of monopolizing public space, the FLN and the ANP have enshrined a narrow vision of Algerian politics and history, which over time has become deeply ingrained in the collective subconscious. Algiers became anti-imperialist, a Mecca for revolutionaries, defending all causes, just and unjust, and forgetting that of the Algerian people. This international aura, which lasted during the heyday of the Cold War, quickly melted away like snow in the sun with the popular uprising of 1988 and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. In 1988, the Algerian population took to the streets to protest against oppression, corruption and unemployment. The army took a major step by temporarily easing its grip, adopting a façade of pluralism through a constitutional overhaul in 1989 and the organization of new elections. These were held in 1991 and resulted in the Islamic Salvation Front winning the first round with 48% of the vote. The FLN then lost its monopoly and the army, fearing it would lose its power, put an end to the democratic process. This marked the beginning of the civil war and the dark decade that caused thousands of deaths and displaced persons. The military intervened again to restore the FLN to power despite popular rejection. At the same time, the system helped new parties to emerge, which joined the new government, sometimes with an Islamic slant, but without any real popular base. All the changes made after the political tsunami of 1988 led to the fall of some figures and the rise of others. But the dogmas and ideology of the deep state remained unchanged. Paradoxically, the revolutionary socialist dogma of the 20th century, on which the Algerian military relied, fell into disuse throughout the world, except in Algeria. Algerian voices were raised to denounce this suffocation of society, which destroyed individual freedoms. The government then introduced liberal reforms that enriched one caste but frustrated the others. In the countries of the former Eastern Bloc, several adopted the liberal system, with varying degrees of success, including Russia. Even in China, the Communist Party also reformed to adopt market laws and modernize its economy to become the power it is today. As a result of these failures to adapt, the Algerian political system has become even more rigid due to a lack of genuine openness to its regional and international environment. The popular protest movement known as Hirak has intensified, continues to simmer, and prevents the adoption of fundamental reforms. The regime is entrenched in its hardline stance, repressing opponents and persecuting journalists. It is increasingly tense and isolated on the international stage, and on bad terms with many states. These contradictions came to light during President Tebboune's recent interview with representatives of the national media. One of the journalists asked him the awkward question of whether the country's foreign policy was based on immutable principles, or on interests and pragmatism. The president asked him to provide an example to support his reasoning, while indicating that he understood the meaning of his question. 'To please others, should I stop helping the Sahrawis?' the president asked him in response. As a result, Algerian leaders remain trapped in the same political logic and culture that still shapes their thinking today and prevents Algeria from adapting to the world around it. Their dogmas have become so rigid and dangerous for their own country, as well as for the entire region. It is this paralysis that prevents any serious internal debate and any questioning of the choices made since independence. And it is this immobility that explains their refusal of any helping hand or assistance from outside. This blockage stems from the revolutionary narrative with which the army has imbued the whole of society. The army considers itself the legitimate representative of the people and their spokesperson in defending the ideals that once gave the country its aura. It is therefore the guardian of the temple, the guarantor of national unity as inherited from the period of liberation. Any criticism of its dogmas, which have been elevated to absolute values, is therefore seen as opposition to the army and is likely to be considered treason against the nation. Such a system, which blocks the progress of its own country and controls the lives of its citizens, cannot respond to appeals to reason and outstretched hands. The Algerian military will never opt for appeasement, except under necessity or duress. But the royal gesture, reiterated during the Throne Day celebrations, is primarily addressed to the Algerian people and its driving forces, who do not necessarily share the warmongering vision of the generals who want to make Morocco their existential and eternal enemy. The Sovereign's outstretched hand goes beyond the current situation to simply become part of Morocco's history and traditions.
Morocco World
a day ago
- Morocco World
In Message to King, Trump Reaffirms US Backing of Morocco's Sahara Sovereignty
Marrakech – In a blistering message to King Mohammed VI commemorating 26th Throne Day, US President Donald Trump obliterated any remaining illusions about America's stance on the Western Sahara, ruthlessly crushing Algeria's desperate maneuvers to keep its failing separatist proxy alive. The letter delivers a fatal blow to the Polisario Front's already crumbling legitimacy. 'I want to reaffirm that the United States of America recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara, and supports Morocco's autonomy proposal, serious, credible and realistic, as the only basis for a just and lasting settlement of this dispute,' Trump declared in his message to the sovereign, shattering any vestige of hope for Algeria's puppet militia. The American president pointed to the 'strong and lasting partnership' between the two nations, noting their joint work on advancing regional peace and security priorities, including through the Abraham Accords, counterterrorism efforts, and expanded trade cooperation. 'I look forward to continuing our collaboration to promote regional stability, security, and peace,' Trump concluded. The US president's latest uncompromising declaration in support of Moroccan territorial integrity torpedoes Algeria's worn-out narrative and cements America's recognition of Moroccan sovereignty on the Sahara as an immovable cornerstone of American foreign policy. This message brutally dismantles decades of Algerian deception and exposes the Polisario Front as nothing more than a Cold War relic sustained by Algiers' stubborn refusal to accept geopolitical reality. It also comes as Washington intensifies its stranglehold on Algeria's dying separatist scheme. Trump's Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, is already on a critical diplomatic tour of the Maghreb, having visited Tunisia and Algeria, with Morocco set to be the centerpiece of his trip. The Western Sahara file is no longer a diplomatic sideshow Behind closed doors, the Western Sahara is now viewed as part of a new Atlantic-African defense system. The ports, submarine cables, energy corridors, and electrical connections passing through Morocco's southern territories carry massive European and American interests. Washington has not withdrawn its recognition because the Pentagon sees Dakhla and Laayoune as secured harbors on the Atlantic maritime defense line. The ongoing high-level Paris meetings between Morocco, the United States, and France marks a defining moment in reshaping the region's power balance. Observers say there are strong indications that major powers have abandoned diplomatic pretenses, and Morocco stands on the verge of securing comprehensive recognition of its territorial integrity over the Sahara. This crushing repositioning follows April's savage dismantling of Algeria's position by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. During his meeting with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Rubio mercilessly declared that 'genuine autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty is the only feasible solution' while vowing to accelerate this inevitable outcome. The Secretary commanded all parties to 'engage in discussions without delay, using Morocco's Autonomy Proposal as the only framework to negotiate a mutually acceptable solution.' These demands directly assault Algeria's relentless obstruction of UN-led peace efforts. The Trump administration has telegraphed an iron determination to terminate the dispute. Washington is actively considering slashing funding for the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), a mission increasingly seen as complicit in perpetuating Algeria's regional destabilization project. In a scathing indictment published last March in the Washington Examiner, Michael Rubin, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, demanded the United States sever funding for MINURSO, condemning it as a failed entity that 'preserves and provokes conflict.' He branded the Algerian-backed Polisario Front a 'Marxist' organization that 'holds wives and children as hostages' in the squalid Tindouf camps to prevent Sahrawis from returning to Morocco. The US is tightening the noose on Algeria According to a June damning analysis from Spanish think tank Instituto Coordenadas, the White House has weaponized diplomatic measures 'to pressure Algiers, including pushing for Polisario disarmament and dismantling the Tindouf camps' to force Algeria to the negotiating table. Algeria now faces 'pressure of unprecedented intensity, which will practically leave it no room for maneuver,' the analysis states. Continued defiance will trigger 'devastating consequences: greater diplomatic isolation, legal complications for its support of the movement, and probable secondary sanctions against Algerian entities that maintain links with the Polisario.' The White House's most potent weapon involves 'the threat of declaring the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO),' which hangs like a sword over Algiers. A Hudson Institute article presents 'detailed legal arguments' proving that 'the Polisario Front meets the three legal criteria to be designated as an FTO' under US law. The Washington Institute for Near East Policy's recent report 'Strategic U.S. Engagement with Algeria' brutally dissects Algeria's strategic predicament, pointing out the 'unprecedented Western alignment behind Morocco's plan' and 'what appears to be an irreversible U.S. position of recognizing Moroccan sovereignty over the territory.' The report bluntly characterizes Algeria as having 'a well-earned reputation for resistance to change' while facing 'roiling domestic dissatisfaction' that could force changes in its international partnerships. The think tank suggests that if Algeria ever returns to rational diplomacy, 'Algiers might even conceivably play a role in persuading the Polisario to accept a negotiated model of self-governance, with the Moroccan autonomy plan as the starting framework.' It acknowledges that such a sensible approach remains 'unlikely' given the regime's ideological obstinacy. Trump is determined to finish what he started The Western Sahara is no longer a 'pending file' at the United Nations but has transformed into a strategic filter separating allies from adversaries. Every country now recognizing Morocco's sovereignty does so not out of courtesy, but because Morocco has emerged as the linchpin in Mediterranean, Sahel, and African security architecture. Morocco's UN Ambassador Omar Hilale proclaimed in April that 'the United States is determined to close the Western Sahara file, and we hope to celebrate the final end of this dispute at the 50th anniversary of the Green March with our Algerian neighbors.' The anniversary falls on November 6 – a date that strikes fear in Algiers. International momentum is building to designate the Polisario Front as a terrorist organization. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson, alongside Democratic Representative Jimmy Panetta, has submitted a bipartisan bill to the US Congress seeking to classify the Polisario Front as a foreign terrorist group, accusing Algeria and Russia of weaponizing the separatist movement to gain a strategic foothold in Africa. The legislation, titled the 'Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act,' was formally submitted to the House of Representatives on June 24 and now awaits review by both the Foreign Affairs and Justice Committees. Algeria has degraded from being a 'supporting party' to a political hostage to an illegitimate organization that has lost its revolutionary façade and mutated into a tool of extortion. Its excessive military spending, coercion of vulnerable African nations, and orchestration of theatrical provocations through the Polisario Front represent desperate attempts to manufacture 'incidents' to reverse Morocco's diplomatic triumphs. Algeria's decades-long refusal to permit a proper census of the Tindouf camps reveals its fundamental insecurity about the demographic reality that would collapse its carefully constructed geopolitical fiction. The regime continues to exploit inflated population figures to maximize international aid – much of which is systematically looted according to the European Anti-Fraud Office's damning 2015 report. With Trump's return to office, the US-Morocco partnership is poised for significant expansion. Expected developments include the establishment of a US consulate in Dakhla, increased American official visits to Western Sahara, the territory's integration into African Lion military exercises, and the relocation of US-Moroccan strategic dialogue to the southern provinces. This deepening relationship builds upon historic foundations – Morocco was the first nation to recognize American independence in 1777, establishing what has become the longest unbroken diplomatic relationship in US history. As both countries prepare to commemorate 250 years of diplomatic relations in 2027, this latest affirmation of support for Morocco's territorial integrity reinforces a strategic partnership that has withstood the test of time and continues to evolve across multiple domains. The year 2025, marking the 50th anniversary of the Green March, will likely witness the emergence of a definitive resolution under American auspices – a resolution that will finally dismantle Algeria's anachronistic regional destabilization project and consign the Polisario Front to the dustbin of history. Read also: Failed Lobbying and Diplomatic Decline: The Algerian Experience in the US
Ya Biladi
2 days ago
- Ya Biladi
Algeria prepares a «Global Youth Solidarity Forum» with the Polisario
Algiers is gearing up to host the «World Youth Forum in Solidarity with the Sahrawi People» this October. This event is set to be organized and financed by the Algerian government. Yesterday, Algeria's Minister of Youth and Sports, Mustapha Hidaoui, reaffirmed to the Polisario Front representative in Algiers, Khatri Adouh, his dedication to «establish all necessary conditions to ensure the event's success and fulfill its objectives». Back in May, Algiers had already convened a «preliminary coordination meeting» between the Polisario and the Algerian government to lay the groundwork for this forum. The event's timing is strategically aligned with the United Nations Security Council's review of the Western Sahara issue and the commencement of the 4th Committee's sessions at the international organization. As they await the arrival of international delegations for the «World Youth Forum in Solidarity with the Sahrawi People», Algeria will also welcome the «high officials of the Sahrawi Republic» from August 2 to 13 for a new edition of the Boumerdès Summer University.
