Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf announced his country’s readiness to mediate in order to find a political solution to the regional conflict over the Sahara, stressing that Algeria “will not hesitate to lend its hand” in this process, provided that any initiative is undertaken within the framework of the United Nations adopted to address this issue.

Attaf explained during a press conference held at the beginning of the week at the Ministry headquarters in Algiers that Algeria’s interest in this conflict stems from a firm conviction that its security and stability are an integral part of the security of its regional environment, adding that “his country is following developments in the file with great interest, especially after the development that he described as important at the end of last month following the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 2797 relating to the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Sahara (MINURSO).”

The Algerian minister indicated that his country is keen to contribute to advancing the political solution, stressing that the latest Security Council resolution maintained – in his words – the “constants of a just and lasting solution,” foremost among them the continued sponsorship by the United Nations of the political process and the necessity of conducting direct negotiations between the parties to the conflict, in addition to agreeing on the final formula for any future solution.

While denying any bilateral dialogue with Morocco, the Algerian Foreign Minister ignored the repeated signals from the Kingdom of Morocco, conveyed through its official statements and diplomatic initiatives, calling for the opening of communication channels and the normalization of relations between the two countries. Despite Morocco's continued emphasis on Rabat's readiness to extend a hand to overcome the current rift and build normal relations based on trust and shared responsibility, Attaf showed no response to these calls, simply stating that dialogue was"not on the agenda," contrary to the spirit of openness expressed by the Kingdom on numerous occasions.

Attaf’s statements reflect a clear trend towards showing greater willingness to engage in UN efforts related to the issue, in a context that witnesses – according to observers – the beginning of a gradual response from Algeria to international pressures calling for openness to the settlement process and engagement with initiatives aimed at creating a climate for dialogue before calling for the first direct negotiation sessions between the parties.

fake mediation

In this regard, Aba Ali Aba Sheikh, a member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, said that the statements issued by the Algerian Foreign Minister regarding a number of current international issues, foremost among them the national issue following UN Security Council Resolution 2797, fall within the context of internal Algerian affairs more than they express a diplomatic position directed abroad.

Aba Al-Sheikh stated that Attaf's emphasis on the UN framework comes as an attempt to justify the setbacks that have characterized Algerian diplomacy's actions in many foreign files, especially in Mali and the Sahel countries, where Algeria's relations with these countries have become increasingly strained as a result of growing attempts to interfere in their internal affairs.

The member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs added, in a statement to the Hespress electronic newspaper, that relations between Algeria and France are still experiencing a clear political and diplomatic break, despite the release of the French-Algerian opposition figure, Sansal, through German mediation. He emphasized that “a number of outstanding issues between the two countries remain unresolved, while Algerian pressure has failed to change Paris’s position on the national issue, despite using files of a security, human rights, and economic nature to try to achieve that goal.”

He explained that Attaf’s statement about Algeria’s readiness to mediate to resolve the conflict sends a signal that Algeria has realized that the autonomy initiative has become an international demand and a fundamental reference for any realistic and lasting solution, noting that “Algeria’s expression of its readiness to pressure the Polisario to accept the solution falls within the framework of sending messages to the Algerian public, showing that it is not a direct party to the conflict, but a mediator, and that the decision - according to its narrative - concerns the Front alone.”

The consultant official stated that this speech carries, in essence, an implicit message to the international community, indicating Algeria’s readiness to engage in a negotiation process regarding autonomy, provided that the Algerian regime preserves what it calls “the dignity of Algerian foreign affairs,” by appearing as a contributor and mediator rather than a direct party to the conflict, even though the political data and field facts prove otherwise.

In this context, Aba Al-Sheikh highlighted that Attaf’s statement reflects the beginning of a cautious shift in the official Algerian discourse, in an attempt to adapt to the international changes surrounding the issue, and with the growing conviction that the autonomy initiative presented by Morocco is the only framework that enjoys international credibility and forms the basis for a final political solution.

The Journey of “Don Quixote”

For his part, Said Bouchakouk, a researcher interested in development and field issues, noted that the Algerian Foreign Minister’s statement about the possibility of his country playing a mediating role between Morocco and the Polisario Front comes in the context of an attempt to show positive engagement in the UN efforts aimed at finding a solution to the conflict, but its timing raises more than one question about its real background.

In a statement to the Hespress electronic newspaper, Bouchakouk explained that this Algerian position came late and was not announced during the preparation period for Security Council Resolution 2797, which ended a phase of the fabricated conflict over the Moroccan Sahara and opened a new horizon by considering the autonomy initiative under Moroccan sovereignty as the basis for a solution, noting that “Algeria’s withdrawal from the voting session constitutes a clear indication of the lack of neutrality and a violation of the trends of international legitimacy.”

The researcher into the intricacies of the conflict stressed that Attaf’s statement lacked seriousness and credibility, as it was an attempt to absorb increasing international pressure, especially from the United States of America, as well as an attempt to circumvent the contents of the recent UN resolution, which explicitly confirmed that Algeria is a principal party to the conflict and not merely an observer or mediator, as Algerian diplomacy is promoting today.

The same political analyst continued, saying: “This speech is nothing more than a new maneuver by the Algerian military regime to prepare domestic public opinion for the rapid changes, in light of the failure of Algerian diplomacy to achieve any gains against Moroccan interests, whether by refusing to respond to the repeated royal calls for a policy of outstretched hands, or by refusing to return to the round tables as an international mechanism for dialogue between the parties to the conflict.”

Bouchakou concluded that what is happening is similar, in its symbolic dimension, to Don Quixote’s journey with windmills in Spanish literature within the story of La Mancha, where Algerian propaganda narratives clash with a new international reality that imposes serious engagement with the Moroccan initiative as the only realistic framework for a solution.