April 16, 2023Since June 2022, business and trade between Algeria and Spain have been at a standstill, amid a bitter dispute over the autonomy of the Western Sahara. On June 8 last year, Algeria suspended its friendship treaty with Spain after Madrid reversed decades of neutrality toward Western Sahara. The European Union has been careful not to take sides, as Algeria is becoming an increasingly important partner for European countries looking for alternative energy sources. “Morocco is getting more demanding in terms of support on the Western Sahara, and Algeria is adamant about cutting off that support. “However, Algeria can easily offset these losses by increasing trade with other European countries such as France and Italy.”Spain’s main incentive for continuing to support Morocco is migration, she said.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 16, 2023 07:06 UTC