Why Algeria will not intervene in the Sahel.
The hesitation of Algeria on a military intervention in northern Mali is mainly due to fears of a possible destabilization of the regime. writes Karim Daoud for slate Afrique.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Why-Algeria-wil...
Why does Algeria not intervene in the Sahel? This is the great mystery that intrigues diplomats based in Algiers.
Algeria is after all the head of Cemoc the army of the sahel nations based in Tamanrasset.All indications are that Algeria is crucial to the liberation of Northern Mali. It is the leader of the Sahel armies, the Committee of Joint Chiefs (CEMOC) has its headquarters at Tamanrasset ,yet Algeria refuses any military involvement in Northern Mali, to the frustration and bewilderment of diplomats,including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.The article says that during a meeting with Fabius President Bouteflika was said to agree that he would act militarily in Northern Mali but could not be seen doing so officially as Algeria couldnot bbe seen to be invading a fellow African country.
At the sametime as refusing to back the US and France in intervening in Northern Mali the article points out that President Bouteflika knows that the increasing terrorism is like a gagerene in the region,especially as Algeria has tocontend with AQIM in Algeria as well as in northern Mali. Algeria says something must be done but does nothing . The article quotes Abdelkader Messahel who spoke at the UN of a "comprehensive political solution".
The article points out that while the Tuareg were fighting for liberation this point of view was understndable but bow that the terrorists hold sway it is a different matter. Algeria strongly disapproves of NATO,or at least the USA and France enterring the scene and has always had an anti colonial point of view.Algeria fears it is surrounded by a not very friendly Morocco, an unstable Western Sahara and unstable Tunisia and Libya.
Energy security is a prime concern for Algeria. There is also the 4 hostagesfrom the Algerian consulate in Gao,Algeria faces the same situation as France. France however,following Preident Hollande's speech at theUN is definitely going to intervene in some form, probably with special forces and airstrikes. There is the article suggests an alternative Algerian solution to drain recruitment for Al Qaeda and a solution which can isolate them. Last week Jeune Afrique ran an article suggesting AQIM was running out of money to give to its supporters and recruitment had been stopped, so this idea may be working.
The Algerian regime is old, suspicious, paranoid, but also very intuitive, prudent and calculating. it has only ever fought one war (other than the War of Independence which cost a million lives,enough for anybody and a sacrifice which still scars Algeria) and thatwas La Guerre des Sables with Morocco in 1963 and 1976. All its conflicts have been internal and its main priority is to secure its own territory. Algeria,to its credit does not intervene militarily outside its borders. Algeria has bought massive supplies of weaponary but they are a deterent not to be used. The article suggests thatAlgeria does not want to further destabalise an already unstable region, especially the Western Sahara and the confrontation with Morocco, which has also been
spectacularly rearmed recently. The article observes acutely that Algerian "leadership is a kind of collegial executive born of the war of independence, but does not want to repeat the war." The government fears the army following the intervention in 1992 against the FIS,it doesnot want to give it the opportunity to win dramatic victories and thus gain power.
The War of Independence was fought by two Algerian armies, the one decimated by the French and the second,which is the one inherited by today's Algerian army which fought from Tunisian and Moroccan terriroties. President Abdelaziz bouteflika was part of this army.
It transpires fom his biography on the Presidential website that in 19602 he was placed in charge of the Southern border and the Mali front which was still under French control.The article suggests the posting was not to his liking and he developed an aversion for Mali.The article refers to Algerian army experts who think that the Sahel could become like Afghanistan and Pakistan which would indeed be an undesirable outcome for everybody in the region.
Algeria is after all the head of Cemoc the army of the sahel nations based in Tamanrasset.All indications are that Algeria is crucial to the liberation of Northern Mali. It is the leader of the Sahel armies, the Committee of Joint Chiefs (CEMOC) has its headquarters at Tamanrasset ,yet Algeria refuses any military involvement in Northern Mali, to the frustration and bewilderment of diplomats,including French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.The article says that during a meeting with Fabius President Bouteflika was said to agree that he would act militarily in Northern Mali but could not be seen doing so officially as Algeria couldnot bbe seen to be invading a fellow African country.
At the sametime as refusing to back the US and France in intervening in Northern Mali the article points out that President Bouteflika knows that the increasing terrorism is like a gagerene in the region,especially as Algeria has tocontend with AQIM in Algeria as well as in northern Mali. Algeria says something must be done but does nothing . The article quotes Abdelkader Messahel who spoke at the UN of a "comprehensive political solution".
The article points out that while the Tuareg were fighting for liberation this point of view was understndable but bow that the terrorists hold sway it is a different matter. Algeria strongly disapproves of NATO,or at least the USA and France enterring the scene and has always had an anti colonial point of view.Algeria fears it is surrounded by a not very friendly Morocco, an unstable Western Sahara and unstable Tunisia and Libya.
Energy security is a prime concern for Algeria. There is also the 4 hostagesfrom the Algerian consulate in Gao,Algeria faces the same situation as France. France however,following Preident Hollande's speech at theUN is definitely going to intervene in some form, probably with special forces and airstrikes. There is the article suggests an alternative Algerian solution to drain recruitment for Al Qaeda and a solution which can isolate them. Last week Jeune Afrique ran an article suggesting AQIM was running out of money to give to its supporters and recruitment had been stopped, so this idea may be working.
The Algerian regime is old, suspicious, paranoid, but also very intuitive, prudent and calculating. it has only ever fought one war (other than the War of Independence which cost a million lives,enough for anybody and a sacrifice which still scars Algeria) and thatwas La Guerre des Sables with Morocco in 1963 and 1976. All its conflicts have been internal and its main priority is to secure its own territory. Algeria,to its credit does not intervene militarily outside its borders. Algeria has bought massive supplies of weaponary but they are a deterent not to be used. The article suggests thatAlgeria does not want to further destabalise an already unstable region, especially the Western Sahara and the confrontation with Morocco, which has also been
spectacularly rearmed recently. The article observes acutely that Algerian "leadership is a kind of collegial executive born of the war of independence, but does not want to repeat the war." The government fears the army following the intervention in 1992 against the FIS,it doesnot want to give it the opportunity to win dramatic victories and thus gain power.
The War of Independence was fought by two Algerian armies, the one decimated by the French and the second,which is the one inherited by today's Algerian army which fought from Tunisian and Moroccan terriroties. President Abdelaziz bouteflika was part of this army.
It transpires fom his biography on the Presidential website that in 19602 he was placed in charge of the Southern border and the Mali front which was still under French control.The article suggests the posting was not to his liking and he developed an aversion for Mali.The article refers to Algerian army experts who think that the Sahel could become like Afghanistan and Pakistan which would indeed be an undesirable outcome for everybody in the region.
Source : https://www.marocafrik.com/english/Why-Algeria-wil...