The dilemmas of Algerian foreign policy since 2011: between normative entrapment and pragmatic responses to the new regional security challenges

Abstract

The strategic guidelines directing Algerian foreign policy are still dominated by normative principles inherited from the early years of the national independence war, which have underpinned the construction of the regime's legitimacy. This doctrinal position has been shaken up by new security threats coming from neighbouring countries. This article analyses the evolution of Algerian foreign policy since 2011, identifying the main constraints and obstacles that limit its ability to adapt to the new sub-regional context marked by the disintegration of the neighbouring states of Mali and Libya. Libya is in the midst of a massive security vacuum brought on by the absence of a central authority and a collapsing defence system. In Mali, in spite of the 2015 peace agreement designed to end the military and political crisis, the north is still facing high levels of violence and insecurity. This deteriorating regional security situation entails new challenges and dilemmas that are pushing Algeria to reconsider the normative foundations that have guided its foreign policy since independence, namely the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of another state, respect for state sovereignty and support for anticolonial and revolutionary movements. Furthermore, these security concerns are also closely connected with Algeria's domestic stability in terms of both state and regime security. The article addresses the following questions: How do these intertwined internal and external factors affect Algerian foreign policy? What are the main constraints that impede the emergence of a new strategic orientation to better respond to the challenges coming from Libya and Mali?