Algeria-Niger Rapprochement: A “Domino Piece” That Will Topple Hostile Alliances

Experts estimated that the resumption of relations between Algeria and Niger is a remarkable development and a major breakthrough in the crisis between neighboring countries, following the alliance of southern border regions against Algeria after the Algerian army shot down a Malian drone that violated Algeria’s southern airspace last March.

What is interesting is that the resumption of relations with Niger also coincided with extending bridges of communication with neighboring Burkina Faso, while Mali remained as if isolated in an alliance it had worked to create, hoping to provoke its northern neighbor, which for decades had been keen to assist them and contribute to resolving their security situations, especially Mali, which was the first to lead a campaign of ingratitude towards Algeria by canceling the Algiers Peace and Reconciliation Agreement signed in 2015.

Will the visit to Algeria of Niger’s President, General Abdourahamane Tiani, contribute? Can this be considered the final announcement of the disintegration of the alliance engineered by malicious parties to provoke Algeria? And what will be the position of the country that ignited problems in the Sahel region, after the failure of its bets against Algeria?

Commenting on these developments, Professor of Political Science at “Algiers 3 University”, Mr.Tewfik Boukada, believes that what is happening on the Algiers-Niamey axis will pave the way for Algeria to return to its regional depth in the Sahel region. He said in a communication with “Echorouk”: “In my opinion, the resumption of relations between Algeria and Niger is a major breakthrough in the wall of crisis between Algeria and the confederation of Sahel countries.”

The political analyst considered “the restoration of calm to relations between Algeria and Niger and the return of ambassadors to their work in both countries as a prelude to establishing strong economic and security relations with Niger,” and that this would “first provide a mediator from the region, and re-engineer the joint security presence against terrorist groups in a vast region where sprawling borders overlap.”

The analyst did not rule out that Algeria’s relations would regain their health with all countries in the region, including Mali, which remains hesitant compared to its neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, saying in this regard: “I believe that the coming days will witness an acceleration in communications. After the visit that led an Algerian delegation to Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, in parallel with the visit of the President of Niger to Algeria, I expect that it will be Mali’s turn and the Nigerien experience will be replicated with it.”

According to Mr. Tewfik Boukada, these parties realized, after nearly a year of the crisis, that Algeria alone, with its capabilities, shrewdness, and weight in the region and the African continent in general, can break the diplomatic siege on these countries due to the abnormal changes that have occurred in their systems in recent years, and that “Algeria alone can contribute to moving the wheel of development in their countries.”

Commenting on the rapid and unexpected disintegration of the alliance woven against Algeria by the three countries, supported by the incitement of hostile countries, the professor of political science explained: “The nature of alliances is that they do not remain constant, especially artificial alliances that are not based on social, economic, and security data.

Therefore, we see that the Algerian-Nigerien rapprochement is the domino piece that will topple all alliances hostile to Algeria, as well as those that are used to plunder the wealth of these countries.”

Mr. Boukada considers the warming of Algeria’s relations with its southern neighbors a setback for the parties that bet on poisoning these relations through intrigues and conspiracies, and these maneuvers have backfired on their orchestrators, who have become ostracized in their surroundings, exposed by their low-down practices that no longer deceive anyone.