✍️ By Fawzi Saïdani
Algiers – September 2025 – When Algeria achieved its independence in 1962 after a liberation war that lasted more than seven years and exacted tremendous sacrifices, its victory was not confined to a national framework or a narrow geography.
The Algerian Revolution quickly became a global emblem, an inspiring icon for peoples yearning for freedom across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It was clear that Algeria had not liberated itself to retreat inward, but to transform its emancipatory message into a beacon illuminating the struggles of others.
From the very first moments of its independence, Algeria carried a resolute banner in its foreign policy: “So that the world may live free.” This principle was never an empty slogan or a mere diplomatic discourse; it was a lived praxis, embodied in political, diplomatic, military, and even humanitarian support for liberation movements—without exception.
In a world divided between East and West at the height of the Cold War, Algeria’s voice emerged as a third voice: the voice of peoples rejecting colonialism and domination. From Palestine to South Africa, from Western Sahara to East Timor, from Angola to Latin America, Algeria’s stance remained unwavering, affirming that liberation and peace are inseparable faces of the same coin.
Palestine: The Core of Algeria’s Conviction
The Palestinian cause has never been a passing issue in Algerian diplomacy; it is embedded in the very conscience of the Algerian people.
The shared history between the Algerian Revolution and the Palestinian Revolution—bound by blood, sacrifice, and suffering—made Palestine an “internal affair” in Algerian policy.
From the outset, Algeria recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. It worked tirelessly to internationalize the cause at the United Nations, playing a pivotal role in enabling Yasser Arafat to deliver his historic 1974 speech before the UN General Assembly, in which he raised both the olive branch and the rifle. That moment marked a turning point in the recognition of Palestine as a struggle for national liberation.
In November 1988, when the Palestinian National Council convened in Algiers’ Salle du Pin and proclaimed the State of Palestine, the symbolism was profound. Over one hundred countries rushed to recognize the nascent state, thanks to Algeria’s nurturing platform.
Algeria’s support was not confined to politics: it extended to humanitarian and financial aid, coupled with relentless advocacy against occupation in every international forum. Today, despite the wave of normalization sweeping through some Arab capitals, Algeria’s stance remains unchanged: there will be no peace without an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
South Africa: Breaking the Chains of Apartheid
At the far end of Africa, the people of South Africa endured one of the most grotesque racist systems in modern history. Algeria, fresh from its own decolonization, saw in their struggle a reflection of its own.
It did not suffice with political statements; Algeria opened its camps to the African National Congress (ANC), providing training, expertise, and arms. Nelson Mandela himself acknowledged that the very first rifle he carried came from Algeria. When he visited Algiers after his release from prison, he declared: “Algeria is my second home.”
At the UN and within the Organization of African Unity, Algeria was at the forefront of demanding the isolation of the apartheid regime and the imposition of international sanctions. With the collapse of apartheid in the early 1990s, Algeria’s name remained etched in South African memory as a symbol of genuine solidarity.
Namibia, Mozambique, and Angola: Solidarity Without Borders
Algeria’s support was never selective; it extended to all liberation causes across the African continent.
In Namibia, Algeria supported the SWAPO movement in its struggle against South African occupation, ensuring the internationalization of their cause until independence was achieved in 1990.
In Mozambique, Algeria stood firmly with FRELIMO against Portuguese colonialism, sustaining political and diplomatic backing until independence in 1975.
In Angola, Algeria was among the staunchest supporters of the MPLA, offering training, arms, and expertise. With this support, the Angolan people defeated Portuguese colonialism, despite the subsequent civil wars that ravaged the country.
These stances were never mere sentiment; they were a strategic conviction that Algeria’s own freedom would remain incomplete as long as any African people languished under colonial rule.
Western Sahara: The Test of Principle
Since the outbreak of the Western Sahara conflict in the mid-1970s, Algeria faced a stark test: to succumb to the logic of geography and interests, or to uphold the principle of self-determination.
The answer was unequivocal: Algeria stood with the Sahrawi people and with the Polisario Front as their legitimate representative. On 27 February 1976, when the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed, Algeria was among the first to recognize it.
It has hosted tens of thousands of refugees in the Tindouf camps, ensuring their education and healthcare. Diplomatically, Algeria has kept their cause permanently on the UN agenda.
This position has created chronic tensions with Morocco, but it has fortified Algeria’s credibility as a state unwilling to barter its principles. For Algeria, Western Sahara is not a border dispute but a moral issue—an extension of the November Revolution’s creed: “We stand with oppressed peoples until they fully regain their rights.”
The Comoros and East Timor: An International Dimension
Algeria’s solidarity transcended Africa. In the Indian Ocean, it assisted the Comoros in gaining independence from France in 1975.
In Southeast Asia, it embraced the cause of East Timor, long subjected to Portuguese colonialism and later to Indonesian occupation. On the UN stage, Algeria forcefully championed Timor’s right to self-determination, which was finally realized in 2002 with independence.
Latin America and Global Liberation Movements
In the 1960s and 1970s, Algeria became a sanctuary for revolutionaries from around the globe. Che Guevara was among its most prominent guests, describing Algeria as a strategic base for anti-imperialist struggle. Strong ties were forged with Fidel Castro’s Cuba and with Nicaragua’s Sandinistas.
Algeria hosted encounters that brought together revolutionaries from Africa and Latin America, underscoring the shared destiny of southern peoples against neo-colonialism and economic domination.
Algeria and the Non-Aligned Movement
Upon independence, the world was split between the United States and the Soviet Union. Algeria chose a third path: non-alignment.
But it was not a passive member; it was a leading force. In September 1973, Algeria hosted the fourth Non-Aligned Movement summit, attended by more than 70 heads of state and government.
In his historic speech, late President Houari Boumediene called for a new international economic order, asserting that political independence could never be complete without economic independence. This vision resonated widely across the Global South, establishing Algeria as a proactive force defending the interests of developing nations.
Algeria also played a central role in the creation of the Group of 77 within the UN, becoming a key actor in unifying the positions of developing countries.
Conclusion
Since independence, Algeria has proven that its revolution was never a fleeting episode but a universal project. It did not merely liberate its own soil; it transformed its experience into a school of liberation for peoples across continents. From Palestine to South Africa, from Western Sahara to East Timor, from Angola to Latin America, Algeria has always stood at the vanguard.
This stance was never opportunistic policy or narrow self-interest; it is part of the identity of a nation that sacrificed one and a half million martyrs for freedom. It is an ethical and political commitment that affirms: there is no justice without freedom, no peace without independence, and no dignity without self-determination.
Contribution by journalist Fouzi Saïdani
Translated by: Dr. Hana Saada
References
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Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, 1994.
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria – Archives of Statements and Press Releases.
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Speeches of Yasser Arafat at the United Nations (1974, 1988).
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Proceedings of the Non-Aligned Movement Summit – Algeria, 1973.
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United Nations Reports on the Western Sahara Issue (1975–2022).
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Che Guevara, African Writings.
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Articles and investigative reports in Algerian and Arab press regarding Algerian support for liberation movements.
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