Algeria Appoints New Ambassador to Spain

Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that the country has appointed a new ambassador to Spain, ending a diplomatic dispute that had lasted for around 20 months over Spain's shift in its stance on the Western Sahara issue.

In a statement published by the Algerian news agency, it was revealed that "the Spanish government has approved the appointment of Abdel Fattah Dgham as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria to the Kingdom of Spain."

Algeria had recalled its ambassador in March 2022 in protest of Spain's change in stance.

The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong surprise at recent statements made by Spanish authorities, stating, "Algeria is greatly surprised by Spain's sudden about-face on the Western Sahara issue."

The Spanish government had publicly declared its support for Rabat's position on the Western Sahara for the first time, marking a significant change.

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares stated during a press conference in Barcelona that "Spain considers the 2007 autonomy initiative to be the most serious, realistic, and credible basis for resolving this conflict" between Rabat and the Polisario Front.

In June 2022, Algeria also suspended the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness, and Cooperation with Spain, which had been signed on October 8, 2002, following Spain's shift in position on the Western Sahara.