Algeria’s foreign policy falters on Western Sahara

In recent weeks, Algeria has suffered a string of diplomatic blows on the Western Sahara issue, most notably with the United Kingdom and Ghana expressing support for Morocco’s autonomy plan—a development that underscores the growing global consensus around Rabat’s approach and the fading influence of Algiers on the matter.

For decades, Algeria has positioned itself as the principal backer of the Polisario Front, advocating for an independence referendum in Western Sahara. 

But the landscape has shifted. One by one, key international players are moving away from this decades-old stalemate, favoring Morocco’s proposal of limited autonomy under its sovereignty as a pragmatic and stable solution.

London and Accra’s recent support is not isolated. They join the United States, Spain, the UAE, and several African and Arab nations that have endorsed the Moroccan initiative. This alignment reflects both changing geopolitical calculations and a hard-nosed assessment of who is offering a workable path forward in a region long marred by frozen conflict.

Algeria, by contrast, appears increasingly out of step.

What we are witnessing is not simply the result of a shift in international sentiment, but a consequence of Algeria’s poorly calibrated foreign policy—reactive, ideological, and deeply rooted in Cold War reflexes. Rather than adapting to regional and global realities, Algiers has entrenched itself in a maximalist position that no longer resonates with the emerging diplomatic consensus.

Moreover, Algeria’s diplomatic apparatus has been marred by inconsistency, internal fragmentation, and a lack of strategic vision. 

Its inability to craft a compelling narrative on Western Sahara beyond reflexive anti-Moroccan rhetoric has left it isolated on the global stage. Recent silence or confusion from key allies like Russia and South Africa on the matter only deepens this impression.

Algeria must reassess its foreign agenda—or face deeper irrelevance

Compounding the problem is Algeria’s broader regional posture, which too often leans toward obstructionism rather than constructive engagement—whether in the Sahel, the Maghreb, or the African Union. As Algeria becomes more focused on internal political management and security concerns, its foreign policy increasingly suffers from a lack of agility and innovation.

What Algeria now faces is not just a setback, but a turning point. 

If it continues down this path—relying on old alliances, hardened positions, and diplomatic nostalgia—it risks rendering itself irrelevant in a debate it once dominated.

The recognition of the Moroccan plan by influential states like the UK and Ghana is a loud message: the world is moving on. If Algeria does not recalibrate soon, it may find itself watching from the sidelines as a new consensus takes shape—without it.