Algeria end diplomatic relations with UAE amid rising tensions

Algeria has announced that it is severing diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following years of growing tension between the two countries.

The Algerian government made the announcement on Thursday, accusing Abu Dhabi of interfering in its internal affairs as well as matters affecting the wider region.

In an official statement, Algiers accused the UAE of carrying out “provocative and hostile acts,” although it did not give details of the specific incident that led to the latest diplomatic break.

Tensions between both countries have increased in recent years, with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune repeatedly criticising the UAE over its alleged role in regional affairs.

Tebboune has previously described the UAE as a “micro-state” or “statelet” and accused it of attempting to destabilise countries across the region, including Libya, Mali and Sudan.

The latest decision marks a major deterioration in relations between the North African country and the Gulf state.

The North African country, which has signalled for months a diplomatic break, said the decision came “after exhausting all avenues to preserve bilateral relations” with the UAE.

The Emirati foreign ministry later said it hoped the decision would be temporary so as to maintain “fraternal ties” with Algeria.

The Algerian foreign ministry said it had warned Abu Dhabi several times but the UAE “persisted in its actions, reaching a point where they could no longer be considered acceptable or tolerable”.

“Algeria spared no effort to draw the Emirati side’s attention to, and to warn it against, the dire consequences that could result from its regrettable and unjustified conduct,” the ministry said.

In a televised interview in July, Tebboune again lashed out against Abu Dhabi, saying “wherever they set foot, blood flows”.

“We want them to stay away, so that blood does not flow in our country,” he added.

At that time, Tebboune said a diplomatic break “would have happened long ago” had Algeria not sought to avoid “deepening divisions” in the Arab world.

On Thursday, Algiers said it was giving the UAE ambassador 48 hours “to comply with the decision”.

Tensions between the two countries have been fuelled by several developments in recent years.

In the Sahel, Algeria was “striving to maintain some semblance of stability”, whereas “the UAE was working directly counter to that”, said Geoff Porter, an analyst with the North Africa Risk Consulting group.

“Algeria viewed the UAE’s interference in North African and Sahelian affairs as not only contrary to Algeria’s foreign policy principles, but as an indirect threat to Algerian security,” he added.

Porter cited as points of contention Abu Dhabi’s support for eastern Libya’s military leader Khalifa Haftar, the backing of the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, and a drone base in Mauritania, which neighbours Algeria.

Last year, Algerian state television denounced what it called a hostile media campaign after UAE-based broadcaster Sky News Arabia aired an interview with historian Mohamed Amine Belghit, who made controversial remarks questioning the existence of Algeria’s indigenous Amazigh culture.

Belghit was jailed in Algeria but later pardoned by Tebboune.

Further divisions between Algiers and Abu Dhabi also stemmed from diverging diplomatic policies, including the UAE’s normalisation of ties with Israel in 2020.

Follow Very Nigerian WhatsApp Channel
For Verified Breaking News, Exclusive Reports, Trending Stories, And Real-time Updates.
CLICk HERE TO JOIN!