Summary:

On Monday, 28 November 2022, Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden held unannounced meetings with her counterpart in Algiers. Bouden’s meetings with Algerian Prime Minister Aymen bin Abdel Rahman were reportedly a follow-up on the implementation of a number of agreements signed by the two countries’ presidents in 2021. The meetings covered topics including security in Libya, cross-border smuggling, and drug trafficking as well as legal and commercial issues.

Outlook:  

We are continuing to watch the diplomatic dynamics across North Africa as President Kais Saied works to cultivate relationships with neighboring countries. In July, Saied sparked controversy with Morocco by including a controversial Western Sahara leader at a Japanese-led development summit in Tunis. While likely unremarkable working meetings between the neighboring countries, the intentional cultivation of ties with Algeria marks a continuation of the current government’s shift away from the increasingly western-aligned Morocco.