Algeria: President Tebboune orders diplomatic reshuffle

Algerian president Abdelmajid Tebboune has announced a partial reshuffle of diplomatic staff, with the nomination of 19 new ambassadors and 7 consuls, according to government-friendly Algerie 360 on 18th March.

It is not yet known which countries will be impacted, but it is likely a new ambassador to France will be named, as the post had been vacant since previous ambassador Said Moussi was recalled in July 2024 at the height of the diplomatic crisis between both countries. He was then named ambassador to Portugal.

Tebboune has made several changes since he came to power in 2019, with a strategy to renew Algerian diplomacy, improve its efficiency and better protect Algerian communities abroad. In 2024, he enacted two significant reshuffles, naming 28 new ambassadors each time and a number of consular staff in countries including Egypt, Chad and Mali.

In a tense context globally, with the war in Iran affecting some of Algeria’s traditional allies in the Middle East, as well as ongoing negotiations on the Western Sahara, Algerian diplomacy needs to pick up speed and make sure it presents a strong, consistent voice in international institution. Algeria has been under significant pressure from the Trump administration to review its stance on the longstanding Western Sahara conflict and was negatively affected by the 2025 UN vote acknowledging the Moroccan autonomy plan as “most feasible“.

As a result, the North African state has been trying to gather support from Russia and deepening ties to China, in an effort to improve its global influence and image.

The recent thawing in relations with France, as well as attempts to renew with Sahel countries following the Malian drone crisis, show that Algeria is adopting a more pragmatic position, in order to defend its interests in an increasingly polarised world. The Algerian government also remained markedly silent on the kidnapping of its long term ally President Nicolas Maduro of Venezuela, and on the US-Israeli attacks on Iran, although it did release a statement of support for Gulf countries impacted by the war.

Algerie 360, L’Algerie Aujourd’hui. Maghrebi.org