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On Tuesday, April 8, the United States reaffirmed its recognition of Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, a stance initially declared by President Donald Trump on December 10, 2020. This decision marks a significant setback for Algeria, which had recently stepped up its efforts to engage with the White House, even offering access to its rare earth minerals.
«Algeria is ready to discuss» a deal with the United States regarding its natural and mineral resources, stated the Algerian ambassador to Washington, Sabri Boukadoum, in an interview with a U.S. media outlet. «We want to showcase our potential to the new administration. With President Trump, who showed interest in these agreements, we hope to convince the current administration of the benefits of collaborating with Algeria», the diplomat explained.
However, according to our sources, Algeria made a symbolic offer to a close associate of President Trump: the Gara Djebilet iron mine in Tindouf. In exchange, they hoped to secure a suspension of the recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara or, at the very least, maintain President Joe Biden's policy on the issue.
The Eastern Sahara also at stake
«Beyond Western Sahara, Algeria also sought to involve the United States in the future of Eastern Sahara. An American presence in a border town with Morocco would serve as a security guarantee for Algeria, confirming the legal status of the province as it existed during French colonization from 1934 to 1962», explained a Moroccan source close to the case, speaking with Yabiladi.
Long claimed by Morocco, King Hassan II and President Houari Boumédiène signed an agreement on June 15, 1972, in Rabat, concerning border demarcation, which was published in the Official Journal of the Algerian Republic on June 15, 1973. However, Morocco only formalized this procedure with a royal decree on June 22, 1992.
The two heads of state also concluded «a cooperation agreement for the development of the Gara Djebilet mine, aimed at establishing lasting peace for centuries to come», sharing the deposit 50% for each country. However, Algeria neglected the project despite multiple attempts by Hassan II to persuade Boumédiène to honor his commitments.
With reserves estimated at 3.5 billion tons, the Gara Djebilet iron deposit ranks second in the world, behind Australia, which has 5.1 billion tons. This highlights its strategic importance. On March 30, 2021, Algiers awarded the mining rights to a consortium of three Chinese companies. «But replacing the Chinese with the Americans should not be a problem for Algeria. In the eyes of Algerian officials, Donald Trump is more influential than China, especially on the issue of Western Sahara», our source explained.
This offer from Algeria is reminiscent of a 2002 proposal made by Bachir Mustapha Sayed of the Polisario to the United States. He suggested that the U.S. recognize the «Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR)» in exchange for an American military base in the Sahara. This audacious move earned him a long period of disgrace within the separatist movement.
