On Thursday, Algeria anticipated the official announcement of French support for the Sahara autonomy plan. In a statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry rebuked Paris, holding it «entirely responsible for the consequences resulting from this decision».
Algeria is attempting to mobilize African Union members to defend the Polisario's presence at meetings with international partners, criticizing the practice as some, including China, Russia, Italy, India, South Korea, the United States, and Saudi Arabia, exclude the Polisario from their guest lists.
In the aftermath of the defection of approximately one hundred Polisario fighters, Bashir Mustapha Sayed is exploiting this development to enhance his own standing, while refraining from censure of the Algerian government.
Following the Confederation of African Football's (CAF) decision to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) 2025 to December, some Algerian media outlets have expressed concerns about the rescheduled tournament in Morocco.