Algeria and Russia began joint military manoeuvres in Mid-November in the region of Hammaguir in Bechar, bordering Morocco. This will be the first time that soldiers from both countries will train together on Algeria’s soil. The transition to an operational stage in Algerian-Russian military relations does not date from today. In November 2021 both embarked on military exercises in South Ossetia which saw the participation of an Algerian contingent, and in September 2022, 100 soldiers of the ANP participated in the ”VOSTOCK 2022” exercise, organized in the Far East of Russia, along with Naval military exercises in the past two years.
In this context the organization of such an exercise, in addition to the choice of its location, a few kilometres from the Moroccan border and regions which know the regular holding of military exercises between the Royal Armed Forces and their foreign partners (AFRICAN LION with the American army, CHERGUI with the French army, etc) constitute a message addressed to both Morocco and its western allies. These maneuvres which should last until November 28, have already raised questions in western media circles regarding their timing and location. As such, it should be noted that the United States of America no longer hides its dissatisfaction with the Algerian-Russian rapprochement, despite the false speech of Algiers on its non-alignment and neutrality, while in reality, it is only strengthening its bilateral relations with Russia.
Consequently, Washington did not hesitate to send several negative signals and warnings to Algeria in order to inform it of the consequences that may arise from its behaviour. Also, to be noted in this regard were the calls by Republican Senator Marco Rubio and a bipartisan group of US lawmakers in September, urging the Biden Administration to impose sanctions on Algeria over the Russian arms purchases, within the framework of the American law CAATSA, sanctioning the countries supplying themselves with armaments from Moscow.
CAATSA law authorises the United States President to impose sanctions on parties involved in significant transactions with representatives of the defence and intelligence sectors with the government of Russia. A few days before the Bachar maneuvres, the Director for Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation of Russia, Dmitry Shugaev, travelled to Algeria where he met the Chief of the Algerian National Army. Said Chengriha on November 10, 2022. This visit was made in the wake of the consolidation of relations between the two armies as well as in the context of the increase in the defence budget estimated at 23 billion dollars; which would have led the Russian military leaders to covet Algeria in order to take a significant part of this budgetary envelope in form of arms contract. This financial windfall that Moscow will garner will certainly help finance and support the war effort in Ukraine.
The Bechar manoeuvres are only a message from Moscow to the west, thus demonstrating Russia’s ability to deploy close to western allies in the western Mediterranean. The unfailing relationship between Algeria and Russia at the geopolitical level places Algiers in the pro-Russian clan. The discrepancy between the official Algerian discourse advocating non-alignment and neutrality contrasts with the reality on the ground which upholds an unfailing alliance between Russia and Algeria. Moscow considers Algeria as an advanced front in its strategy of military confrontation with the west, to which it will resort in order to grant its scope for a strike force, which erects the Algerian-Moroccan border into a line of demarcation between the western zone of influence and that of the former socialist clan. Algeria has contributed concretely to facilitating the Russian military establishment on the African continent.
This unproven alignment of Algeria with Russian positions should lead western countries to review their strategy and partnerships in light of the ever-changing dynamics. While Algeria benefits from the dividends of its energy contracts with the west it continues to enhance its military cooperation with Moscow. Algeria maintains that its relations on the military front with Russia have targeted terrorist threats in the Sahel region of Africa.
