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‘Confrontation’ with Morocco Becomes Part of Algeria’s Election Campaigns

A picture taken from the Moroccan region of Oujda shows Algerian border guards patrolling along the border with Morocco on November 4, 2021. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
A picture taken from the Moroccan region of Oujda shows Algerian border guards patrolling along the border with Morocco on November 4, 2021. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
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‘Confrontation’ with Morocco Becomes Part of Algeria’s Election Campaigns

A picture taken from the Moroccan region of Oujda shows Algerian border guards patrolling along the border with Morocco on November 4, 2021. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)
A picture taken from the Moroccan region of Oujda shows Algerian border guards patrolling along the border with Morocco on November 4, 2021. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP)

Election campaigns for mayoral candidates in Algeria, which kickstarted this week, were marked by strong criticism of Morocco over the killing of three Algerians in a Western Sahara buffer zone between the two countries.

Meanwhile, the Algerian government wrote to international organizations about its accusation of Rabat being behind the attack.

During propaganda rallies for mayoral electoral campaigns, party leaders called for Algeria’s response to match the level of the event.

According to reports, three truck drivers had been killed in a bombing as they were traveling between the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott and the Algerian city of Ouargla.

Most party and independent candidates pointed out to the need to preserve the rights of the victims without having war break out.

“Avoid falling into the trap of slipping into war, but without compromising the rights of the victims by responding appropriately to the aggressors,” Abu Fadl Baaji, Secretary-General of the Liberation Front, told activists in Laghouat.

In other news, Algeria announced that Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra had sent messages to several international organizations to follow up on the assassination of the three Algerian truckers.

The messages were addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat, Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation Secretary-General Youssef Ben Ahmed Al-Othaimeen.

In these official letters, Lamamra informed the heads of international organizations of “the extreme gravity of this indefensible act.”

Lamamra expressed “the willingness and ability of Algeria to assume its responsibilities in protecting its citizens and their property in all circumstances.”

In addition, ambassadors accredited to Algeria were received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Algeria’s contact with the UN and regional bodies on the issue of the killing of its nationals, according to observers, is an effort to bring international diplomatic pressure against Rabat.

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.