Algeria is looking for new ways to punish France for its new pro-Moroccan stance on the disputed Western Sahara region. Among Algeria’s strongest options are economic sanctions.
“We will take the necessary measures to express our rejection of France’s behaviour,” Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf said.
The day before Attaf’s press conference, France backed Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed region, emphasising that “the present and future of Western Sahara are within the framework of Morocco’s sovereignty”.
In response, Attaf described Algeria’s immediate recall of its ambassador to Paris as “a first step and warned that others would follow”.
The Western Sahara dispute has been a major source of tension between Rabat, Algeria and their allies for more than four decades. Morocco considers its sovereignty over Western Sahara to be a non-negotiable national cause.
Algeria has no claim to the territory, but is a staunch supporter of the pro-independence Polisario Front, which claims sovereignty over the region. Algeria hosts the Front’s self-proclaimed government and opposes any solution that does not include independence.
What sanctions could Algeria impose on France? In June 2022, Algeria suspended its 20-year friendship treaty with Spain and imposed an economic blockade after Madrid adopted a pro-Moroccan stance on the disputed territory.
The Spanish economy lost USD 1 billion in the following seven months alone as exports to Algeria plummeted. However, Algeria continued to supply gas to Spain under an agreement.
Some political parties in France are warning of similar consequences for Paris’ relations with Algeria, its second largest trading partner in Africa.
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