On 30 July, Jalel Harchaoui published a Briefing paper on the response of Algeria to the Libyan crisis, in collaboration with Small Survey Report. The paper studies the evolution of the Algerian strategy towards its unstable neighbour. The research points out Algeria’s key role in international efforts towards the stabilization of Libya through the development of a stable democracy and its commitment to dialogue. He writes:
Algiers’ current Libya policy consists in working with, and exerting leverage on, various non-jihadi Libyan factions in order to help foster compromise. It favours a soft-landing transition into a unified Libya, preferring this to a scenario where one camp attempts to impose ‘stability’ by force and gives rise to the concomitant risk of unintended consequences.
Given the opacity of the Algerian government and the resulting difficulties to understand its agenda, Harchaoui’s research is very insightful. The research underlines Algeria’s recent shift towards Libya, and how in recent years Algeria has appeared to become more open to the idea of a direct intervention. Harchaoui believes that Algeria's particular appraoch to the Libyan crisis could lead to a rapprochement between Algiers and Moscow.Click here to download the research.