Algeria will pursue stronger ties in the Sahel

Significance In February, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune announced that Algeria is planning free trade zones with Niger and Mali, despite increasingly volatile ties with the latter. That same month, Algeria conducted a live ammunition exercise on the border with Mali, with manoeuvres aimed at "destroying a non-conventional enemy". Impacts Morocco has more scope than Algeria to become a logistical hub for landlocked Sahelian countries. Algeria will leverage its temporary seat on the UN Security Council to highlight its role in the Sahel to a global audience. Wider Russian-Algerian relations are unlikely to be affected by Russia's presence in Mali.