Algeria decided to sever its diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after several years of tensions and accusations of interference in internal and regional affairs
The Algerian government announced this Thursday the decision and granted a 48-hour deadline to the Emirati ambassador in Algiers to comply with the measure
The resolution was announced by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and subsequently disseminated by state media. According to the authorities, the decision was made after “exhausting all possible means” to try to preserve the bilateral link, amid what they defined as an increase in actions from Abu Dhabi
Flags of Algeria and the UAE
The Algerian government did not specify the concrete events that triggered the break, although it denounced a “growing number of provocative and hostile actions” attributed to the United Arab Emirates
Algeria also maintained that it had taken a position of moderation for an extended period and had previously warned Abu Dhabi about the possible consequences of its actions. However, they explained that those behaviors ultimately exceeded the limits considered acceptable between two sovereign countries
The Algerian authorities stated that those actions “have crossed the boundaries of what is acceptable or tolerable in relations between two sovereign states”
The decision was communicated during the day to the diplomatic representative of the United Arab Emirates in Algiers, who was given 48 hours to comply with the resolution
The United Arab Emirates
Algeria's accusations against Abu Dhabi
The deterioration of relations had become evident in recent months. The Algerian president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, had pointed out last year that ties with the Gulf countries were cordial, with one exception that pointed directly to the UAE. In that same statement, he described the ties with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar as “fraternal”
Tebboune had also publicly accused the Emirates of interfering in Algeria's internal affairs and attempting to destabilize other countries in the region. In a televised interview in July, the president stated that “wherever they set foot, blood runs” and asserted that the UAE had had a “very negative impact”
The differences had also begun to affect concrete agreements. In February, Algeria initiated the process to terminate an air services agreement with the United Arab Emirates signed in Abu Dhabi in May 2013
