The United States has opted to appoint a chargé d’affaires rather than a full ambassador to succeed Ambassador Elizabeth Aubin, a decision that sends a clear signal about the current state of bilateral relations between Washington and Algiers.
Mark Schapiro, appointed by Trump, has been selected to head the US diplomatic mission in Algeria.
He is also known for his critical stance toward the Algerian regime when he served at the mission previously.
In diplomatic practice, the absence of an ambassadorial appointment often indicates dissatisfaction. By refraining from nominating an ambassador, Washington communicates that relations with the government of President Tebboune are not sufficiently strong to warrant a higher-level appointment.
Using a chargé d’affaires instead of an ambassador is a well-established tool in US foreign policy, typically employed to signal diplomatic distance or displeasure.
This appointment comes at a time when Algeria has remained unwilling to engage constructively in US-led efforts to advance a resolution of the Sahara conflict based on Morocco’s autonomy plan.
The US recently convened a meeting of stakeholders in Madrid to discuss the implementation of Resolution 2797, which supports the autonomy initiative.
In Washington, criticism of Algeria has also intensified. US Senator Ted Cruz has denounced Algeria’s deepening ties with Russia and the links between the Polisario Front and Iran, going so far as to introduce a motion to classify the Polisario as a terrorist organization. Before him, Congressman Joe Wilson submitted a similar motion, likewise warning of Algeria’s alignment with Russia and Iran. They are backed by congressmen Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Jefferson Shreve (R-IN), Randy Fine (R-FL) and Lance Gooden (R-TX).
More recently, another Republican congressman Pat Harrigan has joined the U.S. lawmakers pushing for branding the Polisario, Algeria-backed armed militia, as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) like Iranian proxies such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the houthies…
The support of Harrigan adds more pressure on Algeria and Polisario, sending them a strong message saying the bipartisan draft legislation, “Polisario Front Terrorist Designation Act”, remains on track and keeps moving through the legislative process.
