Algerian Foreign Minister meets UN Chief, Sahara tops agenda

Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Wednesday, January 24. Although Attaf's trip coincided with a Security Council meeting on the Israeli war in Gaza, the Algerian-UN talks focused primarily on the issue of Western Sahara, according to a press release from Algeria's Foreign Ministry.

This emphasis reflects President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's support for the Polisario, declared a «national cause» alongside Palestine in his December 25th speech to Parliament. He designated these two issues as «pillars of foreign policy» during Algeria's Security Council term, which began January 1st, 2024.

Further underscoring Algerian solidarity with the Polisario, General Said Chengriha reiterated his support near the Moroccan border on January 15th.