Algeria FM reassures ties with UAE after Algerian media 'fake' anti-UAE report

The Algerian foreign minister Ahmed Ataf called his Emirati counterpart Wednesday, in the first official interaction between the two states' senior officials since Algerian state-aligned media broadcasted a "fake" report which hinted at links between Emirati citizens and Israeli Mossad.

"Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan extended greetings in his name and on behalf of all members of the princely family to President Abdelmadjid Tebboune," reads a press statement the Algerian Foreign Ministry issued on Thursday.

The call occurred a day after the Algerian media Ennahar published a fake report Tuesday night declaring the expulsion of the UAE envoy to Algiers over an alleged espionage affair with Mossad involving Emirati citizens.

The Algerian foreign ministry soon denied the report, with the President Abdelmadjid Tebboune sacking  Mohamed Bouslimani, the media minister, the same night without stating the reasons behind the dismissal.

On Wednesday, The Algerian authorities summoned Ennahar officials to "provide clarifications on the matter."

The Audiovisual Control Authority did not issue further details on the consequences Ennahar's misstep may lead to, despite years of being a loyal canal of pro-state propaganda.

تلقى وزير الشؤون الخارجية والجالية الوطنية بالخارج، السيد أحمد عطاف، اليوم، اتصالاً هاتفياً من أخيه سمو الشيخ عبد الله بن زايد آل نهيان، وزير الخارجية والتعاون الدولي لدولة الإمارات العربية المتحدة الشقيقة🇦🇪. https://t.co/uZo3lxGeNm pic.twitter.com/tZ6ZAgXe86

— وزارة الشؤون الخارجية| MFA-Algeria (@Algeria_MFA) June 22, 2023

Meanwhile, the Algerian foreign ministry's statement on the counterparts' call did not mention the scandalous "fake" report affair and instead focused on the UAE's support of the election of Algeria as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

"The UAE foreign minister affirmed his country's readiness to share its experience, especially since Algeria will succeed the sister country of the United Arab Emirates in the Security Council, starting next January," added the statement.

Algeria was elected on 6 June, among four other countries, to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member.

The five new council members will replace UAE, Albania, Brazil, Gabon and Ghana for a two-year term beginning 1 January 2024.

The Security Council is made up of 15 member states - five permanent veto-wielding countries (Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States) and ten others who serve two-year terms. 

The ten non-permanent seats are allocated to represent all regions equally. Algeria will represent Africa, along with Sierra Leone, a step the Algerian government considered a reflection of "the international recognition" of President Tebboune for "his contribution to international peace and security."