Ahmed Attaf: Algeria-U.S. Discussions on Niger Agree on Three Main Principles
Algerian and U.S. officials have agreed on three main principles during the discussions on the crisis in Niger following the coup against President Mohamed Bazoum, warning of the consequences of foreign intervention and its disastrous repercussions, as happened in Libya, Foreign Minister, Mohamed Attaf said.
Attaf explained in an interview with The Washington Post, published on Tuesday, in response to a question related to his assessment of Algeria’s relationship right now with the United States; “If you want to assess the quality of any given relationship between two countries, look at the quality of the political dialogue. Only this year, [numerous top State Department officials] have visited Algeria. That means Algeria and the United States have a lot of files to discuss. And this can be easily explained — you have a kind of ring of fire extending from the Red Sea to the Atlantic, from Sudan, Chad, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali to Western Sahara”.
Regarding the discussions that Attaf has been having with U.S. officials about Niger and his concerns about the implications for Algeria because of the long border between the two countries, the Algerian diplomacy official revealed that the two parties “have agreed on three main principles. The first: respect for the constitutional and democratic order. That President Bazoum should be restored as the legitimate president of Niger. And third: Priority should continue to be attached to the solution of the conflict. And I believe that [on] these principles, there is a total agreement between us. Now we should try to work together to translate these principles into the political reality in Niger. And this is the subject of our consultations”.
The words of the returner to the Algerian Foreign Ministry building in Algiers’ el-Anasser carried great fear of what is happening in the southern neighbourhood, especially the lack of clarity of vision until now, as he said; “Nobody can say for sure what will happen tomorrow. The situation is very, very volatile and we should deal with it on not a day-by-day basis, but hour-by-hour basis. What I can say is that consultations are going on between many interested and concerned parties — ECOWAS, the parties in Niger, and the European Union — to see what will be the best option we have at hand to reach this objective of a peaceful solution to this crisis for the time being”.
The Algerian FM reviewed the danger posed by terrorist groups operating in the Sahel region; “Even before the coup, the situation was very serious in Niger. And there is this famous area called the area of the three borders, famously known for the heavy concentration of terrorist groups. And in fact, in Algeria, as far as the Sahel is concerned, we have ceased to talk about armed groups — we are talking about terrorist armies. They have gained a new [level] of scale, of activities, in terms of personnel, in terms of equipment. And we are really dealing in the region with the armies of terrorists directly threatening Burkina Faso, Mali, some areas in Chad, and Niger. And the Americans, have exactly the same assessment: that the situation is very serious and it commands heavy coordination or close cooperation between the countries in the area to meet this challenge”.
The minister renewed Algeria’s position rejecting any foreign intervention in Niger under the pretext of restoring legitimacy; “The first thing that I would say is that I personally, and many in Algeria, do not see any example of military intervention in cases like this that has succeeded. And we have in our neighbourhood the example of Libya which has proven catastrophic for the whole region, and we are paying the price. Those who have conducted foreign intervention have left the country. And they left us with this tragedy, with this crisis on our hands”.
Attaf continued, speaking in this regard; “The second point is that, even if ECOWAS is contemplating this, envisaging the military option as an option of last resort, they are still giving priority to a political and diplomatic solution and they are working on this basis. The third element is nobody’s sure, even within ECOWAS, that the military intervention has a reasonable chance of success. You can start a military intervention, but you never know how it will end. So they are very careful. They are showing the maximum restraint in dealing with this option, and they are right in doing so”.
He expressed Algeria’s rejection of the option suggested by the “ECOWAS” group to close the border with Niger, stressing that it is a punitive act on the population; “We have very strong reservations [about restricting the border]. In this region, Mali and Niger, these populations on the Nigerien side of the border, come to our hospitals for treatment. They come to our region for trade, tourism, and vital commodities. How can you apply sanctions to that? You close your border and tell people, ‘You must die on the other side; you do not have access to my hospitals.’ Who can someone do that? As far as sanctions are concerned, we have very strong reservations because this will be a punitive action against the population”.
Responding to a question about another big issue in Africa, migration and Algeria’s potential solution to grapple with irregular migration while also treating migrants humanely, Attaf concluded; “In April, I was in Niger and Mali, and it was on our agenda. The issue of migration is not exclusively a political issue that you can deal with within the framework of an international agreement to say, you will be doing this and this. In this region — I’m talking specifically about Niger, Mali, Chad and you can go down in West Africa — it is also a huge economic issue. These people are leaving their countries, they’re leaving their villages because they are in pursuit of a better life — and for some of them, for feeding their families. So you have to deal with it politically, diplomatically. But if the economic component of the solution is not there, then you will not solve the problem”.
Previously, members of ECOWAS have closed their borders with Niger and imposed wide-reaching sanctions, including cutting off electricity supply to the country. But Algeria continues urging caution, worried about the potential for international intervention and sanctions to further destabilize the region.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has condemned the coup and offered Algeria’s services as a mediator in Niger.
Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf visited Washington last week to meet with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other administration officials to discuss bilateral partnership and consult on shared efforts to de-escalate conflict and advance regional stability, including in the Sahel. The Secretary and Foreign Minister reaffirmed the importance of a just and durable peace in Ukraine under the principles of the UN Charter and reiterated full support for the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General Staffan de Mistura as he consults intensively with all concerned to achieve a political solution for Western Sahara. The Secretary congratulated Foreign Minister Attaf on Algeria’s election to the UN Security Council and emphasized the U.S. readiness to partner closely on all issues before the Security Council. The Secretary highlighted the importance of protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms.
Cairo bureau chief Claire Parker spoke with Attaf at the Algerian ambassador’s home in Washington on Aug. 9.
