Algeria also closed national airspace to the UAE, accusing Abu Dhabi of “provocative and hostile” actions and interference in Libya, Sudan and Mali.
The UAE reportedly expressed hope that the decision would be temporary and reaffirmed a commitment to protecting shared interests and ties between Algerian and Emirati citizens.
Middle East Africa Research Institute Research Fellow Kenneth Kgwadi described Algeria’s allegations as serious but said similar accusations had previously been directed at the UAE. “It is not the first time that the UAE is facing the same accusations by different countries,” Kgwadi said.
Kgwadi linked the diplomatic rupture to wider regional rivalries, particularly longstanding tensions between Algeria and Morocco over Western Sahara. “We cannot separate this conflict between Algeria and the UAE from what is happening between Morocco and Algeria,” Kgwadi said.
Kgwadi said Morocco’s closer relationships with several Middle Eastern countries had contributed to Algeria’s growing unease. Expanding UAE investment, trade and political influence across Africa had added to the tensions.
Allegations that the UAE supported the Rapid Support Forces in Sudan with funding and weapons in exchange for access to mineral resources had also caused concern, Kgwadi said. The UAE has rejected accusations of supporting the conflict.
The immediate effect on trade and investment between Algeria and the UAE could remain limited, although Algerian citizens living in or travelling to the UAE may face uncertainty. “There’s not much impact in terms of what is going to happen between Algeria and the UAE,” Kgwadi said.
However, Kgwadi expressed little confidence that diplomatic relations would be restored quickly because the disagreement extended beyond bilateral diplomacy. “These are not just diplomatic differences. These are ideological and geopolitical differences,” Kgwadi said.
Repairing relations would require the countries to confront wider regional disputes, including Western Sahara and competing partnerships involving Morocco.
Kgwadi said ordinary citizens and countries with economic or political ties to Algeria and the UAE could bear the greatest cost of the breakdown. “It does not really help anyone, I don’t think, in the Middle East as well as in Africa,” Kgwadi said.
–ChannelAfrica–
