US vetoed Former Algerian FM from becoming Libya’s UN Envoy

Former Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamaamra acknowledged officially that he had to backtrack on his bid to become a UN special envoy for Libya after he was vetoed by the US.

In an official response, he said he was asked to take the position by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and that he accepted the role pending the approval of the UN Security Council.

He said he had to withdrew from the race after learning about the US opposition to his candidacy, dealing another blow to the Algerian diplomacy in the region.

Lamaamra is perceived as one of the figures of the era of Bouteflika and an ardent defender of the Algerian regime’s foreign policy and plans in the region.

His mandate as Algerian Foreign Minister was marred by under the table interventions in the Libyan mayhem casting a shadow on his neutrality.

Algeria has tried desperately to project its power in the region by hosting talks between the Libyan warring governments, which so far stalled in an impasse.

Lamaamra was spared the purge of pro-Bouteflika figures as the Algerian military regime recycles itself and seeks desperately to make its voice heard in its immediate neighborhood, but to no avail.

Algiers needs to come to terms with the reality that its diplomatic influence is intricately linked to the price of oil revenues, which have dwindled in recent years under the impact of low demand, abundant offer and the consequences of the coronavirus.