Algeria may sever ties with UAE amid separatism allegations
Media close to Algiers cites deepening tensions over alleged Emirati links to Kabylia separatist movement
ALGIERS, Algeria (MNTV) — Algeria may move to sever diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates in the coming days over what it views as hostile actions undermining national unity, according to a Middle East Eye report quoting an Algerian news source.
El-Khabar, an Algerian newspaper, reported that Algiers suspects Abu Dhabi of supporting the Movement for the Autonomy of Kabylia (MAK), a separatist group designated a terrorist organization by the Algerian government.
“The question of whether Algeria will sever its diplomatic relations with Abu Dhabi is being raised with increasing urgency,” the newspaper wrote, adding that the outcome could become clear in the coming days amid what it described as deep dissatisfaction with Emirati practices viewed as hostile and damaging to Arab interests.
El-Khabar said Algeria has made clear that its relations with the UAE are strained, unlike its ties with other Arab states, citing actions allegedly taken by Abu Dhabi without consultation or Arab consensus and described as serving agendas of fragmentation.
Algerian authorities have in recent years criticized what they describe as destabilizing interference by a Gulf state, without always naming the UAE directly.
In October, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune questioned foreign involvement in Algeria’s internal affairs during a meeting with senior military officials, saying interference crossed a red line and singling out one Gulf country as an exception to otherwise strong regional relations.
Official circles have also accused the UAE embassy in Algiers of suspicious activities, with el-Khabar previously reporting that the Emirati ambassador had effectively become persona non grata and was no longer engaged by Algerian institutions.
The UAE is accused of supporting the Paris-based MAK, which advocates independence for Algeria’s predominantly Amazigh Kabylia region. According to el-Khabar, Algerian authorities believe the group has received external backing, including alleged contacts and financial support linked to Emirati, Israeli and Moroccan networks.
The newspaper cited information pointing to ongoing investigations in France into the financing of the MAK, including reports of suspicious transfers of large sums of money through a cultural association, though the case has not been widely covered by French media.
Algeria has also expressed concern over the UAE’s expanding military presence in Africa, its support for rival Morocco and the deepening of Emirati ties with Israel, which Algiers opposes.
El-Khabar quoted President Tebboune as reiterating that national sovereignty is non-negotiable, warning that continued provocations could push relations with the UAE to a point of no return, including a complete diplomatic rupture.
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