Algeria Rebuffs Western Sahara Roundtable Talks
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Days after the United Nations appointed a new envoy, Algeria ruled out returning to roundtable talks over Western Sahara.
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Tribal groups contribute to Algeria’s culture.
Algeria ruled out resuming roundtable talks over Western Sahara on Friday, days after the United Nations (UN) appointed a new envoy to the conflict.
On his account, Algeria's Western Sahara envoy Amar Belani told the APS news agency, "we confirm our formal and irreversible rejection of the so-called roundtable format."
Top officials from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania, and the Polisario participated in the UN-led peace talks in 2019.
They were, however, halted after UN envoy Horst Kohler resigned in May 2019. This month, he was finally replaced by veteran diplomat Staffan de Mistura.
Morocco's Normalisation with "Israel" was a turning point
Tensions between Rabat and Algiers have risen since Morocco normalized relations with “Israel” last year and won US recognition of its sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Last August, Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco while assuring that consular services would remain open for nationals of either side.
At the time, the Algerian presidency stated that "continued hostile acts" by Morocco require a review of relations between the two countries and intensification of security monitoring along the western borders.
