Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra has been in Bamako since Thursday 1 September. He is participating this Friday in the Monitoring Committee of the 2015 peace agreement, and on Thursday met at length with his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop, as part of the 18th session of the Mali-Algeria Strategic Bilateral Committee. The two countries showed their desire to relaunch the Joint Operational Staff Committee.
The Joint Operational Staff Committee (Cemoc) brings together Mali, Algeria, Mauritania and Niger. Created in 2010 on the initiative of Algiers and based in Tamanrasset, it remained an empty shell, without ever ceasing to exist. Its last meeting was held in Bamako in February: no major decision had been taken there.
But three months ago, in May 2022, Mali left the other regional military coalition, the G5 Sahel, of which Algeria was not a part. Alongside his Algerian counterpart, the Malian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdoulaye Diop, therefore explains today that he wants to “revitalize“, and “strengthen” Cemoc to fight against terrorist groups: “Our officials are looking at everything we can do together to bring peace and security to our area.“
The problems of the G5 Sahel could rest in Cemoc
A way, according to the head of Malian diplomacy, to “find African solutions to our African problems […] without closing the door to our non-African friends”. And a great opportunity for Algiers to strengthen its influence in the Sahel. But the strategic differences that led to the explosion of the G5 Sahel will necessarily rest for Cemoc since Niger is part of it. Niamey welcomes the French force Barkhane in transformation when Bamako counts on its new Russian ally.
As for the Algerian position on the subject, it remains rather vague. Russia is a historical partner of Algeria, particularly on the military level. But during the French president’s recent visit to Algiers, an unprecedented meeting was held, bringing together the two heads of state, Emmanuel Macron, and Abdelmadjid Tebboune, in the company of their chiefs of staff of the armies and their chiefs of information. Nothing filtered from this meeting, but Mali and the Russian presence was necessarily discussed there.
“Algeria has defeated terrorism […] terrorism cannot have a future in Mali”, declared Ramtane Lamamra after his meeting with Abdoulaye Diop, without specifying what Algeria intended to concretely implement to support Mali in the fight against terrorism.
In addition to security, the two countries have agreed to strengthen their partnerships in various sectors: energy and mining, telecommunications, trade, and vocational training.
