Attaf: Africa’s Future Must Be Built on Sovereign Agency, Not External Tutelage
By Dr. Hana Saada
On the occasion of Africa Day, Ahmed Attaf set out an ambitious and strategically framed vision of Algeria’s continental diplomacy during a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Addressing a gathering of diplomats, national institutional representatives and political figures, the Minister of State, Minister of Foreign Affairs, National Community Abroad and African Affairs reaffirmed Algeria’s conviction—under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune—that Africa is the continent of the future, provided that its trajectory is anchored in endogenous capacities, deeper economic integration, and a categorical rejection of any form of external tutelage.
Framing the commemoration as both a moment of remembrance and strategic reassessment, Attaf paid tribute to the founding fathers of African unity while underscoring the imperative of translating the continent’s structural potential into tangible outcomes. He stated that Algeria has undertaken “a profound overhaul of its African policy,” reflected in an unprecedented diplomatic activation across bilateral, regional and multilateral dimensions.
At the bilateral level, he highlighted three major indicators of this reconfiguration: the expansion of Algeria’s diplomatic footprint in Africa from 29 to 38 embassies, including nine newly established missions; the extension of Air Algérie’s network to 12 African destinations, with an objective of reaching 20 in the short term; and the increase in annual scholarships granted to African students from 5,000 to 8,000, covering higher education, vocational training and technical specialization.
At the regional level, Attaf reiterated Algeria’s positioning as a reliable and engaged actor in both the Sahel-Saharan and Maghreb spaces, consistently advocating for security, stability and development. At the continental level, he stressed Algeria’s reinforced contribution to the African Union’s institutional architecture through the nomination of national expertise to key positions and its active participation in recent electoral processes within AU structures.
Economically, he outlined Algeria’s engagement in advancing continental integration through three strategic axes: the revitalization of structural projects such as the Trans-Saharan Highway, the fiber-optic backbone, and the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline, alongside studies to extend Algeria’s railway network toward the Sahel; the strengthening of intra-African trade, illustrated by the fourth Intra-African Trade Fair hosted in Algiers; and the consolidation of energy cooperation through capacity-building and support for electricity generation projects in partner states.
Turning to political and security challenges, Attaf reaffirmed Algeria’s unwavering attachment to foundational principles of the African Union: the right of peoples to self-determination, the inviolability of colonial-era borders, the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and the primacy of political and diplomatic solutions.
On the Western Sahara question, he welcomed the announced launch, in early 2026, of direct negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front under United Nations and United States auspices, with Algeria and Mauritania participating as neighboring observers. He expressed Algeria’s expectation that the process would culminate in a just, lasting and definitive settlement consistent with UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2797, and conducive to regional stability in the Maghreb.
Regarding Libya, he reiterated support for UN-led efforts aimed at a political resolution, calling for enhanced international coordination to enable the Libyan people to establish legitimate, elected institutions ensuring reconciliation and national unity. On the Sahel, particularly Mali, he stressed the indivisibility of Algeria’s security from that of its immediate environment, advocating inclusive dialogue and a comprehensive political settlement preserving Mali’s unity and territorial integrity in the face of terrorism.
In the Horn of Africa, Algeria reaffirmed its support for Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, while strongly condemning the opening by the self-proclaimed “Somaliland” entity of a representation in occupied East Al-Quds. Confronting the deteriorating situation in Sudan, Attaf called for an immediate cessation of foreign interference and for the mobilization of all efforts to restore peace and preserve national cohesion.
Extending Algeria’s diplomatic focus beyond the continent, he addressed developments in Palestine and the Gulf region, condemning in unequivocal terms the ongoing atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank, which he said aim to eliminate any viable prospect of a Palestinian state—deemed an essential prerequisite for lasting peace in the Middle East.
In the Gulf context, he called for the consolidation of the ceasefire and continued diplomatic engagement, while commending recent progress achieved through Qatari mediation and reaffirming Algeria’s solidarity with affected Arab states.
Concluding on a structural note, Attaf welcomed the African Union’s decision to prioritise water sustainability in 2026, invoking an African proverb: “Where water rules, the land must obey,” to underscore the interdependence between resource governance, peace and stability.
He closed by rejecting any fatalistic reading of Africa’s challenges, insisting they constitute opportunities to consolidate resilience and collective agency. If this shared resolve is fully mobilised, he concluded, Africa will not merely overcome its constraints but fully disclose its historic destiny as a continent of opportunity, endowed with vast potential and propelled by its youth.
— 𝐄𝐍𝐃 —
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