Algeria's President sacks media minister after 'fake report' on UAE

At midnight on Tuesday, Algeria's president sacked the media minister shortly after the broadcast of an alleged press release on the expulsion of the UAE ambassador in Algiers.

Several state-aligned Algerian media outlets announced the expulsion of the UAE ambassador in Algiers over an alleged espionage affair with Israel's Mossad involving Emirati citizens.

An hour later, the Algerian foreign ministry issued a communiqué categorically denying "the fake news," and stressed the strong and friendly ties between Algiers and Abu Dubai.

"The official spokesman for the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stresses the strength and solidity of the distinguished Algerian-Emirati bilateral relations that exist between the two brotherly countries and peoples, with a common desire to raise them to the highest levels," read the statement from the Algerian foreign ministry.

The dramatic saga continued with a press release of the Algerian Presidency declaring that Minister of Communication, Mohamed Bouslimani has been dismissed. 

A housekeeping mess in #Algeria: Communication minister is sacked; foreign ministry emphasizes role as sole purveyor of information as it denies a report by govt-aligned @ennaharonline that alleged Algiers PNGd UAE Amb after 4 UAE "spies" were apprehended for working for Mossad

— Souhail Karam (@Massinissa1973) June 21, 2023

"After consulting the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic, Mr Abdelmadjid Tebboune, ended today the duties of the Minister of Communication, Mohamed Bouslimani, and assigned the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communication to manage the ministry's affairs on behalf," read the president's statement.

The Presidency's statement did not provide further details on the reason behind the dismissal, however, its timing led many on social media to speculate that the events were related.

ماذا جرى في الجزائر ؟ ولماذا صدر بيان بطرد سفير الامارات بتهمة اكتشاف شبكة تجسس اماراتية تعمل لصالح الموساد ثم بعد ساعات تم نفي الرواية وطرد وزير الاتصال الجزائري محمد بو سليماني دون ذكر أي تفاصيل وذلك بعد نشر قناة النهار الجزائرية الخاصة للخبر ؟
ماذا جرى بالضبط ليلة البارحة وغير…

— Dawood Albasri (@dawoodalbasri3) June 21, 2023

Sources close to the Algerian Presidency told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister publication, that President Tebboune had decided on 26 March to replace the Minister of Communication Muhammad Bouslimani and appoint the director general of Algerian Radio Muhammad Baghali, but a heated discussion on media laws in the country at the time postponed the decision.

The UAE embassy in Algeria has yet to comment on the incident.

Since the inauguration of the Abraham Accords in 2020, Algeria has voiced its opposition to the normalisation deals, cutting off ties with Rabat, its historical arch-enemy, shortly after the Moroccan kingdom signed the accord in December 2020.

Meanwhile, Algeria has kept friendly ties with the other Arab signatories, including the UAE.

On 25 April, Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed sent an official invitation to President Tebboune to visit the UAE.