In a region marred by shifting alliances and escalating geopolitical strains, Algeria’s newly appointed ambassador to Mauritania held his first official meeting this week with Mauritanian Foreign Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Merzouk, signaling a cautious move toward mending recently chilled bilateral relations.
The meeting at Mauritania’s Foreign Ministry came months after the abrupt and unceremonious departure of Algeria’s previous ambassador, Mohamed Ben Attou.
His exit coincided with a surge in diplomatic engagement between Mauritania and Morocco, including a high-profile visit by Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani to Casablanca, where he was received by King Mohammed VI.
The timing of the new Algerian envoy’s engagement is significant, as Algeria faces mounting diplomatic pressure amid a public spat with the United Arab Emirates and broader regional isolation.
Analysts suggest Algiers is seeking to bolster its influence in North Africa by renewing ties with neighboring states such as Mauritania, Tunisia, and Libya, in a possible shift away from traditional frameworks like the largely dormant Arab Maghreb Union.
Speaking to Hespress AR, Sheikh Ahmed Amin, director of Mauritania’s Anbaa Info news site, described the meeting as a symbolic yet critical gesture. “This is a first step toward thawing relations between the two countries after a period of diplomatic stagnation,” he said. The meeting, he added, reflects both bilateral concerns and regional calculations.
Amin noted that Algeria remains particularly sensitive to any signs of deepening ties between Mauritania and Morocco. He argued that the former ambassador’s withdrawal was widely interpreted as a sign of silent diplomatic tension following the presidential visit to Morocco.
“The current regional climate — marked by Algeria’s disputes with the UAE and internal pressures — puts Mauritania in a strategically delicate position,” he added, calling for diplomatic balance in dealing with partners whose interests often conflict.
While the recent meeting was described as largely ceremonial, Amin believes it reflects Nouakchott’s intent to preserve open communication channels with Algiers amid growing instability in the Maghreb and the Gulf.
Dr. Mina Laghzal, coordinator of the Sahrawi NGO Alliance, echoed similar concerns but cast Algeria’s outreach as a reactive move.
“Algeria is not seeking genuine partnership,” she said, “but rather using its ties with Mauritania to break out of its deepening diplomatic isolation caused by its hardline stance on regional issues — especially its unconditional support for separatism in the Sahara.”
Laghzal accused Algeria of instrumentalizing its relationship with Nouakchott to counter Morocco’s growing influence across Africa. She warned against accepting economic incentives, such as energy deals or infrastructure promises, in exchange for compromising Mauritania’s strategic sovereignty or turning a blind eye to past violations against Mauritanian nationals in the Tindouf refugee camps.
She further claimed that Algeria’s current diplomatic initiatives — including offers of oil, gas, and security cooperation — are driven more by short-term pressures than long-term regional cooperation. “These moves reflect a desire to regain regional relevance, not a commitment to sustainable partnership,” she said.
According to Laghzal, Algeria’s strategy is unlikely to succeed as long as it is perceived as being motivated by efforts to undermine Moroccan territorial integrity. “Any new regional framework that excludes Morocco is doomed to fail,” she concluded.
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