Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with UAE

The North African country has “exhausted all means” of preserving relations with Abu Dhabi, its Foreign Ministry has said

Algeria has severed diplomatic relations with the United Arab Emirates, accusing the Gulf state of escalating hostile conduct despite repeated warnings.

The Algerian Foreign Ministry announced the decision on Thursday after summoning the UAE ambassador and formally notifying him. The envoy was given 48 hours to comply with the measure.

Algiers had “exhausted all means” of preserving bilateral relations, the ministry said in a statement reported by the Algerian Press Service. “Despite these numerous warnings, the United Arab Emirates continued to persist in these actions,” the ministry said, adding that Abu Dhabi’s conduct could no longer be considered acceptable between sovereign states.

The statement did not specify the immediate trigger for the rupture. Relations have deteriorated in recent years amid Algerian accusations of Emirati interference and disagreements over regional issues, including normalization with Israel and Abu Dhabi’s alleged role in conflicts in Libya, Sudan, and the Sahel.

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The two countries also hold opposing positions on Western Sahara. Algeria backs the pro-independence Polisario Front’s demand for self-determination for the Sahrawi people, while the UAE is a close ally of Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the former Spanish colony. Abu Dhabi became the first Arab government to open a consulate in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara in 2020. Algerian media have also accused the UAE of links to the Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia, which Algiers designated a terrorist organization in 2021.

Abu Dhabi has yet to respond publicly to Algeria’s decision. It has previously denied accusations that it sought to destabilize the North African country.

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Algiers is the latest African government to take diplomatic action against the UAE. Sudan severed relations in May 2025 and declared the Gulf state a “state of aggression,” accusing it of arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the country’s civil war. The UAE has repeatedly denied supporting the group.

In January, Somalia terminated all agreements with the UAE covering ports, government institutions, and defense cooperation. Mogadishu accused Abu Dhabi of threatening its sovereignty and political stability, although several Somali regional administrations rejected the decision.

READ MORE: African state cuts ties with UAE