Ensuing diplomatic defeats one after the other at the African level and beyond, the Algerian regime sticks to the mirage of having an unviable state in the Sahara that turns in its orbit. Myopic to the significance of the protests and their aspirations to have open borders with Morocco and Tunisia, the Algerian regime sticks to obsolete stands born out of a cold war context. Lamamra’s participation in the UN-sponsored Geneva II roundtable on the Sahara at the head of the Algerian delegation shows that undermining Morocco’s territorial integrity is more important for the Algerian regime than the threat it faces from the growing awareness of the Algerian youth regarding the untenability of the autocratic status quo. As protests grow, the Algerian regime is busy contributing with South Africa to hold yet another anti-Moroccan event on March 25 to show solidarity with the separatist Polisario entity. It is worth noticing that in all protests in the Algerian capital no one hoisted the flag of the Polisario entity.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 21, 2019 17:15 UTC