Rabat – Trump’s senior advisor, Massad Boulos, arrived in Algeria on Monday as part of an official working visit, aiming to bolster Algiers-Washington ties.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf received Boulos today, the country’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The meeting served as an opportunity to display all dimensions in US-Algeria relations as well as to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral ties at all possible levels,” it explained.
According to the ministry, Boulos and Attaf discussed several regional and international dossiers, including the developments in Libya as well as the Western Sahara dispute.
Boulos’s visit comes as he has been rallying to convey US’ aspirations aimed at helping resolve long-standing crises between Rabat and Algiers.
The centrality of the Autonomy Plan
In several interviews over the past months, including many with Algerian media, Boulos has reiterated his country’s support of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan as the only feasible political solution to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
This position is notably eyebrow-raising for Algiers, which continues to lobby for outdated narratives, including self-determination and referendum claims for the separatist Polisario Front, claiming independence in southern Morocco.
Algeria’s regime continues to harbor the separatist group in a deserted area called Tindouf, spending billions of dollars on its separatist dreams while sowing more regional insecurity and instability in the process.
In his most recent interview with Algerian newspaper An-Nahar earlier this month, Boulos recalled Washington’s steadfast position, welcoming the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2797.
He described the resolution as a historic moment that has opened new possibilities for long-awaited peace efforts in the Western Sahara political process.
The Security Council adopted the resolution last year on October 31, extending MINURSO’s mandate. It also recognized Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a genuine political solution to resolve the dispute over Western Sahara.
For the resolution, the Moroccan autonomy initiative “could represent the most feasible outcome and encourages the parties to submit ideas to support a final mutually-acceptable solution.”
It also urged all parties to the dispute, including Algeria, to shoulder their responsibility in the dispute.
Algeria’s losing gambit
However, the Algerian regime continues to shirk its responsibility in the dispute and has been in denial that Resolution 2797 promotes the autonomy initiative as the only and genuine political party able to end the dispute.
In his interview, Boulos also addressed bilateral ties between Algiers and Washington, stating that the two countries have a strong partnership that is aimed at promoting regional peace, security, and prosperity.
“The US hopes to facilitate commercial access to the Algerian market for American businesses and collaborate on opportunities for mutual prosperity.”
Boulos’s visits and interviews on Algeria-Morocco ties have also frequently mentioned a US initiative seeking to mend ties between the two countries.
In his interview with Asharq news in October, Bouls suggested that Algeria expressed “willingness” to improve ties with Morocco.
He recalled his meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, saying that Algiers “expressed their willingness to improve ties with their Moroccan neighbors – with Morocco, with the Moroccan people, with His Majesty the King, the Moroccan government, and the brotherly Moroccan nation.”
In November last year, Algeria’s regime denied negotiating a peace deal with Morocco – challenging comments by both Boulos and Trump’s envoy Steve Wiktoff.
“I was surprised by this statement, because personally I am not aware of any project for a peace agreement between the two countries mentioned,” said Attaf.
Last year in October, special envoy Steve Wiktoff made a bold promise, saying Washington expects to secure a peace deal for Morocco-Algeria within the next 60 days.
He made his remarks in an interview with CBS News.
“We are working on Morocco and Algeria right now. Our team is focused on it, there is going to be a peace deal in the next, in my view, 60 days.”
