The President of Algeria, Abdelmayid Tebún, in an official picture Illustrated Service (Automatic) (Europa Press)
Algeria’s President Abdelmayid Tebún dismissed Finance Minister Abderramán Rauya, who was appointed in February, without giving reasons. The dismissal comes amid a diplomatic crisis with Spain after Algiers suspended the friendship treaty signed between the two countries 20 years ago on Wednesday, June 8. Hours after the adoption of this measure, the Algerian Association of Banks and Financial Institutions (Abef), belonging to the department of the sacked Rauya, published a circular announcing the freeze of bank debits for transactions originating and terminating in Spain from the following day.
Algerian business sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the dismissal was linked to the crisis with Spain. “It may be a necessary measure before the operation is unlocked and returned,” says one of them. An Algerian analyst, who has also asked for his identity to be protected, states: “The minister has so far remained very discreet. He hadn’t done or said anything serious. So it is possible that his dismissal is related to the crisis with Spain.”
Other European sources prominent in Algiers also express their doubts: “In Algeria, you never know the reasons for a layoff. Of course, if it is related to managing the crisis with Spain, they will not recognize it. They don’t want to convey a message of weakness.” The above European sources have highlighted the fact that President Tebún has not appointed a minister to replace Abderramán Rauya there will be no one to oppose any of its actions.
Rauya’s dismissal comes days after Algerian authorities twice denied before the European Union on Thursday and Saturday that funds used to fund operations with Spain had been frozen. However, sources familiar with the situation assure that the Algerian Bank Employers’ Circular remains in force and is being complied with in all entities.
“The banks,” according to the source familiar with the situation, “are adhering very closely to the circular. They are not freezing operations until Thursday, June 9, as ordered in the letter. The above operations are paid. And then there was the strange case that an operation with Spanish products was allowed. Although the company that sold these products is not Spanish”.
European sources pointed out that Rouya attended a partnership ceremony between the European Union and the Ministry of Finance this Tuesday morning in Algiers. “This is an agreement where Europe is offering its money for the country to modernize its institutions. I don’t know to what extent the fact that the minister attended an event thanking the efforts of the European Union when they criticized the EU for its support for Spain three days ago would have had any impact.
What affects most is what happens next. Subscribe so you don’t miss anything.
Subscribe to
Abderramán Rauya – whose name is transcribed in French as Abderrahmane Raouya – was previously Finance Minister under former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika between 2017 and 2018. And also for five months in 2020.
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares traveled urgently to Brussels last week to seek institutional support over what he described as a “discriminatory” measure against Spain. Albares received explicit support when European Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell issued a joint note in which they claimed to be “evaluating” the impact of Algeria’s actions. “At first glance, [las medidas] appears to be a violation of the social contract [entre la Unión Europea y Argelia, suscrito en 2005], particularly in the area of trade and investment. This would lead to discriminatory treatment of an EU Member State and affect the exercise of Union rights under the Agreement.”
Albares, “Pyromancers”
The official agency Algérie Presse Service (APS) published Tuesday, like all its own, an unsigned article directly accusing Albares, whom it branded an “arsonist”. Just as Moroccan diplomacy accused Albares’ predecessor Arancha González-Laya of admitting Polisario Front leader Brahim Gali to a hospital in Logroño, it is now Algeria that directs its criticism at Albares. However, neither Morocco was satisfied with the sacking of González-Laya, nor did Algeria set the sole goal of sacking Albares. The underlying problem for Algeria and Morocco is the Spanish government’s policy towards Western Sahara. And there Spain decided to end 47 years of neutrality on March 14, when President Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to King Mohamed VI assuring that the Moroccan proposal for autonomy for Western Sahara was the “most serious, realistic and credible”. . This officially pushed the self-determination referendum for the Spanish government demanded by the Polisario Front into the background.