Fall of Assad: Algeria and Tunisia shift positions as Maghreb reacts to Syria upheaval
Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia all had very different relations with Damascus, but all are watching developments warily
Elodie Farge
Last Update: 2024-12-10 21:00:04 - Source: Middle East Eye
An armed rebel waves to the crowd as people cheer during a gathering at the Karama square in the southern Syrian city of Sweida on 10 December (Shadi al-Dubaisi/AFP)
The rapid fall of Syria's former president Bashar al-Assad has taken Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia by surprise, with the Maghreb countries closely scrutinising developments as the country's future remains in flux.
Assad had until a few days ago counted on the support of some North African countries against what they called "terrorist attacks" by the mosaic of rebel groups that have taken control of Syria's main cities.
This was the case in Algeria, where the government last Tuesday released a statement asserting its support for the Assad government in the face of "terrorist aggression".
The statement revealed that Algeria's foreign minister, Ahmed Attaf, had spoken to his Syrian counterpart Bassam Sabbagh on the phone, reassuring him of Algerian support.
On Tuesday, Sabbagh was expressing his "shock" at the sudden demise of the government he served, saying that Assad had asked his Russian and Iranian allies to save him.
On Sunday evening, Algeria adopted a more circumspect position, after the announcement of Assad's flight to Moscow. In a statement, the foreign ministry called "to preserve the country's assets and achievements and to look to the future to build a country for all", with "institutions emanating from the will of the Syrian people".
Without commenting on the fall of Assad, Algiers invited "all Syrian parties to dialogue, far from any foreign interference," highlighting that the state "stands alongside the brotherly Syrian people, who are linked to the Algerian people by luminous pages of a common history based on solidarity and mutual support".
Syria and Algeria are connected by historical ties that have never been broken and that originate in adherence to the same ideological, military and strategic framework forged by pan-Arabism, and support for the Soviet Union and anti-imperialist struggles. The Baathist movement, of which Syria was one of the crucibles, was influential in Algiers after independence, particularly in the 1970s.
This link was strengthened during the Arab uprisings of 2011 and beyond, when both countries used the mantra of security and stability in the face of popular pressure for democratic change.
While the Arab League suspended Syria in 2011 in response to the massacres orchestrated by the Assad government, Algiers still supported Damascus, refusing to cut diplomatic ties, and in April 2023, advocated for the reinstatement of Syria within the bloc.
In May 2023, Assad personally thanked Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for his role in this initiative.
Morocco blasts Algeria's Assad support
The press in Morocco, which is hostile to Algeria, was quick to deride its neighbour's support for the Assad government.
According to the Hespress website, the reason for this “fierce support” lies “in the visceral fear that democracy inspires in these regimes. The Algerian regime, like that of Bashar al-Assad, fears above all the popular momentum towards a civil and democratic state".
Other Moroccan media outlets highlighted the fear that the fall of Assad could arouse in Algiers. "Paralysed by the sudden fall of its Syrian ally, the Algiers regime fears suffering the same fate", wrote Le360.
The website noted that during demonstrations organised by the Syrian diaspora across Europe, the Algerian government was blamed by some for supporting Assad until the end.
