Facing Trump pressure on Sahara, Algeria opens mineral resources to US firms
Among the topics discussed was the Western Sahara conflict. According to a Moroccan source familiar with the matter, the U.S. diplomat conveyed the Trump administration's intent to revive the settlement process based on Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan.
«The upcoming Security Council session in October, when a new resolution to extend MINURSO's mandate is due, could offer Washington an opportunity to push its vision onto Algeria», the source added.
Algeria Looks to Energy to Bolster U.S. Ties
While the Trump administration appears determined to advance a resolution to the Western Sahara issue, Algeria is doubling down on its energy diplomacy to win over Washington. On the same day as the Magramane–Aubin meeting, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune received a high-level delegation from U.S. oil giant Chevron, led by Vice President for Business Development Joe Cook.
The following day, Tebboune also welcomed executives from ExxonMobil. Algeria's Minister of Energy Mohamed Arkab and Sonatrach CEO Rachid Hachichi were also present.
These meetings come as Algeria's government is pushing forward a draft law allowing foreign investors to hold up to 80% ownership in unexplored oil and gas fields, leaving only 20% to public enterprises. Arkab described the law as «a qualitative leap» in Algeria's structural energy reforms, emphasizing that it upholds national sovereignty over resources.
The talks with Chevron and ExxonMobil appear to align with an offer reportedly made nearly four months ago by Algerian Ambassador Sabri Boukadoum to former U.S. President Donald Trump. «Algeria is ready to discuss an agreement on its natural and mineral resources», Boukadoum told a U.S. media outlet, adding that «the sky is the limit» to future cooperation.
Meanwhile, at the UN Security Council in April, the Secretary-General's personal envoy for Western Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, noted that «the next three months would be an opportunity for regional de-escalation and, separately, a renewed roadmap toward resolving the Western Sahara conflict». That window is now closing, without any new negotiations announced.
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