Tension brews between Algeria and UAE

Late on June 20, Ennahar, a mouthpiece of the military rulers in Algeria, said the country asked the ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to leave the country after busting four Emirati spies working for the Mossad.

The news was later dismissed as a fake by the foreign ministry and the communication minister was sacked as a scapegoat late the same evening.

Ennahar removed the news from its website and social media platforms, yet it met no punishment although the country has a restrictive press code that harshly punishes fake news.

Abdou Sammar, an Algerian reporter in exile and head of Algeriepart news website, said Ennahar published the news after it was asked to do so by the defense ministry.

“Ennahar editorial team will never dare to publish news unless it was told to do so,” by senior officials, he said, adding “Algerian media now are mouthpieces of the presidency, the government or the ministry of defense.”

A branch of the military junta is pushing for worsening ties with the UAE which has fostered ties with Morocco including at the military level, Semmar said.

The fake news also came after the UAE and other gulf countries reiterated their open support for Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara.