(Contribution) Algeria and the Intra-African Trade Fair: From Rhetoric to the Construction of Geo-Economic Sovereignty
✍️ BY: Dr. Ahmed Mizab, Researcher in Security and Strategic Affairs
Translated by: Dr. Hana Saada
Algiers – September 2025 – Algiers’ hosting of the 4th edition of the Intra-African Trade Fair (IATF 2025) comes at a defining moment. The speeches delivered at the opening session—foremost among them that of President Abdelmadjid Tebboune—were far from ceremonial protocol. They were instead deeply political interventions, set against a turbulent regional and international backdrop, at a time when Africa is racing against the clock to reposition itself within a rapidly evolving global order.
The Significance of Algeria’s Opening
The Algerian inauguration of this edition transcends the economic dimension to touch upon crucial geopolitical and diplomatic stakes.
On the geopolitical front, Algeria’s decision to host the fair signals a clear determination to assert itself as a central actor on the continent. It is no longer content to serve merely as a bridge between North Africa and its deeper hinterland but is positioning itself as a pole of influence, aspiring to shape the contours of a new Africa. The message is unequivocal: Algeria refuses to be relegated to the margins of the African marketplace and instead presents itself as an indispensable cornerstone in any integrative continental project.
Diplomatically, the presence of leaders and dignitaries who collectively underscored Algeria’s stature is equally revealing. In an African context marked by diverging national interests and growing international pressures, this consensus reflects both Algeria’s historical capital and its political credibility. It also attests to its capacity to act as a unifying platform at a time when fragmentation is a constant threat. Algeria’s robust infrastructure and strategic assets further enhance its claim to such a role.
This dual message—directed inward toward Africa and outward toward global partners—underscores Algeria’s ambition: to be recognized as a committed partner in the construction of collective economic sovereignty, and as a geopolitical force no actor can afford to bypass in the continent’s geo-economic equation.
The Dialectic of Soft and Hard Power
The fair in Algiers vividly displayed Algeria’s capacity to project both soft and hard power in tandem.
In terms of soft power, Algeria succeeded in leveraging its ability to host an event of continental scope, gathering political and economic actors from across Africa. Beyond organizational prowess, this demonstrates Algeria’s enduring political and symbolic capital: it remains a trusted hub for dialogue and convergence at a moment of global rivalries over Africa’s future.
In terms of hard power, Algeria’s ambitions are embodied in strategic infrastructure projects that reshape the material conditions of African connectivity. The Trans-Saharan Highway is more than a logistical artery—it is a geopolitical statement, linking disparate markets and breaking the isolation of the Sahel. The Algeria–Nigeria gas pipeline, likewise, is not merely an energy project but a geo-economic pivot, placing Algeria at the heart of continental and global energy equations. These projects are tangible proof that Algeria does not stop at discourse—it builds facts on the ground.
Together, these instruments reflect an integrated Algerian approach: continental leadership is not secured through symbolism alone, nor through infrastructure alone, but through the fusion of unifying political presence and effective, material capacity. The Algiers trade fair thus becomes a living model of this dual strength—soft power that legitimizes Algeria’s role, and hard power that entrenches its influence.
The Fair as a Space for Recasting Roles
The IATF is not merely an exhibition of trade opportunities but a political space where continental roles are contested and renegotiated. The figures are telling: intra-African trade accounts for only 15% of total commerce, a stark indicator of the fragility of the internal market and the continent’s limited capacity to transform its resources into added value.
The Algerian opening interventions reframed the issue as one of sovereignty rather than mere trade. Can Africa afford to continue outsourcing the marketing of its natural wealth to external actors, thus remaining hostage to global market volatility and the conditionalities of great powers? Should Africa remain merely an arena for competing foreign interests rather than emerging as an autonomous pole within the global economy?
By raising these questions with sober realism, Algeria sought to push the debate beyond technicalities, steering it toward the urgent imperative of a comprehensive African repositioning. The fair thus emerges not as a site for contract-signing alone, but as a stage for redistributing roles: Algeria presents itself as a locomotive through its continental-scale infrastructure, while other states oscillate between dependency on northern markets and the choice of embedding themselves in a collective African trajectory.
Algeria’s Vision of Geo-Economic Justice
One of the most striking themes of President Tebboune’s address was Algeria’s call for what may be termed “geo-economic justice.” By insisting on the necessity of building a balanced African economy that cuts the cords of dependency, Algeria was articulating a vision that fuses economics with politics.
In this view, continental integration is not a technical policy choice to be postponed—it is an existential condition for African political independence. Without a coherent internal market and endogenous productive capacity, African states will remain subject to commercial and financial dependency.
Algeria’s proposed pillars for continental development—agriculture to secure food sovereignty, pharmaceuticals to safeguard health autonomy, energy to balance internal needs with global positioning, and digitalization as a lever of modernization—constitute a holistic framework for African renaissance. These sectors are not seen as simple growth avenues but as instruments of emancipation, designed to ensure that Africa is no longer a passive consumer market or a theater of external experimentation.
This is a project to reposition Africa as a proactive actor, capable of recalibrating global power balances. If such a vision is translated into concrete policies, the Algiers trade fair will be remembered not as a routine event but as the launch of a strategic pathway toward continental self-determination.
Beyond the Opening Speeches: The Road Ahead
Yet, the real test begins after the ceremonial speeches. The fair’s momentum must now be harnessed toward practical, structural outcomes.
The first challenge lies in translating political discourse into concrete projects. Past experiences have shown that summits and forums risk ending as hollow symbolism unless they result in tangible investments and production chains that alter the structure of intra-African trade.
The second challenge is institutional: mechanisms must be devised to monitor, enforce, and sustain agreements. Declarations alone are insufficient; robust African or regional bodies must oversee implementation to match ambition with delivery.
The third challenge concerns Africa’s positioning in global transformations. The reconfiguration of supply chains after COVID-19, the impact of the war in Ukraine, and shifting energy markets all present opportunities for Africa—if it can act collectively. If not, the continent risks being once more relegated to the periphery, subject to external exploitation.
Conclusion: A Defining Moment for Africa and Algeria
The 4th Intra-African Trade Fair in Algiers crystallizes a defining moment: Africa is searching for its rightful place in a changing global order, and Algeria is asserting itself as a central protagonist in this quest. The opening speeches were declarations of intent; the true measure, however, will be in the translation of rhetoric into policy, contracts into production, and vision into sovereignty.
Algiers has placed its marker. Whether Africa seizes this moment to move from aspiration to action will determine whether the continent can finally liberate itself from dependency and emerge as a pole of geo-economic power in its own right.
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