Will Anthony Blinken Succeed In Convincing Algeria, Where His Deputy Failed?
This Wednesday, the US Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Anthony Blinken, will arrive in Algiers on a working visit to Algeria hailing from the Kingdom of Morocco, as part of a Middle East tour that led him to a number of countries, including the Zionist entity, and at the top of his agenda is Washington’s efforts to reduce the dependence of the countries of the continent on Russian energy power.
It is expected that the American official will be received by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Community Abroad Ramtane Lamamra, as part of a visit that comes under troubling circumstances due to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the United States’ attempt to limit its repercussions on its allies in Europe, especially with regard to energy power.
Blinken’s visit to Algeria comes about three weeks after the visit of his deputy, Wendy Sherman, a visit that did not achieve what was hoped for, according to the readings of some observers, especially what was related to gas, which necessitated programming a second visit higher than the first, led by the head of American diplomacy personally, after the one that was paid by John Kerry in 2014.
Observers wonder what the American official will carry on this visit, as he realizes that the “goods” that his deputy brought to Algeria did not receive the required response, which necessitates the shipment of more attractive “goods” to the Algerian party, which is waiting for Washington to assume its full responsibility as a superpower, notably in many outstanding issues, foremost of which is the issue of Western Sahara, which has turned into a file that would poison bilateral relations if the American side would not rush to address this issue in accordance with United Nations resolutions, which stipulate the legitimate right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.
And if the administration of US President Joe Biden did not take any step that would anger Algeria, but rather resorted to sanity by ignoring the “tweet” of former President Donald Trump, who gave what he does not have to those who do not deserve, but it is still required to adopt a clear position by being frank on this issue, through the official announcement of dropping Trump’s decision, and a commitment to supporting the relevant UN resolution related to organizing a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara.
The US State Department statement, which announced Blinken’s Middle Eastern visit, had referred to some files that the American official will carry in his bag during this visit, such as the repercussions of the Russian and Ukrainian war on energy prices, and the reduction of the level of tension between Algeria and Morocco, as well as other files, from among them is the human rights file, in an attempt to put the host country under pressure, and then “bargain” about some of the files he wants to pass.
Some of those who followed this visit wondered whether Blinken had opened the human rights file and curtailed freedom of expression in the western neighbor (Morocco), which had turned into a fortress to harass opponents, silence media men and silence their pens, by intimidating journalists with unfair judicial trials, and the reference here is to journalist Tawfiq Bouachrine, director of “Al-Youm 24” newspaper, and editor-in-chief of the same newspaper, Slimane Raissouni, who are serving a sentence of 15 and five years, respectively, because of the newspaper’s writings critical of the Makhzen regime, as well as journalist Omar Radi who is serving a six-year prison sentence, in the absence of the vigilance of the defense lawyers.
According to diplomatic sources, the Algerian party is not waiting to receive any dictates from any party, and that it will deal with current issues responsibly and in a manner that protects the higher interests of the country, which is the same position that Wendy Sherman had received during her last visit to Algeria, especially with regard to restarting the gas pipeline linking Algeria and Spain via Moroccan soil.
However, the Algerian position remains linked to the stimuli that the American official will carry, such as bolstering partnership in the economic field and cooperation in the political and security fields, as well as the most sensitive file for Algeria, which is the Western Sahara issue, as Algeria believes that it is in the interest of relations with Washington with the latter hopefully putting more pressure on Morocco’s Makhzen regime, and with it Spain, in order to compel them to comply with United Nations resolutions in this regard.
