Sahara : As the October deadline at the UN approaches, the UK sends a letter to Algeria

Just ten days before the United Nations Security Council is slated to vote on a new resolution concerning the Sahara issue, the United Kingdom has taken a decisive step by sending its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, responsible for the Middle East and North Africa, Hamish Falconer, to Algiers. On Tuesday, October 21, Falconer delivered a letter from the newly appointed British Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, who assumed her role on September 5, 2025, to his Algerian counterpart, Ahmed Attaf.

The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that the discussions centered on «current issues on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council». Naturally, the Western Sahara dossier, a pivotal issue for Algiers, dominated the talks.

The United Kingdom has aligned with the United States and France in supporting a Security Council resolution that backs Morocco's 2007 autonomy plan, aimed at resolving the long-standing Western Sahara conflict.

Beyond the geopolitical dimensions, London is also eyeing opportunities in the Algerian market, following the lead of the United States, particularly in sectors such as hydrocarbons, renewable energies, and agriculture. These topics were part of the discussions between Hamish Falconer and the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of African affairs, Ms. Salma Mansouri, during the same visit to Algiers.

It is worth noting that the Algerian government inked agreements and memorandums of understanding with British firms last March in London, during the International Food and Drink Event (IFE 2025), amounting to a substantial one billion dollars.