Algeria Returns to the “Briefcase” Policy and Vote Buying in the Halls of the African Union
ALDAR/
Since the arrival of the Algerian president in Addis Ababa yesterday, Thursday, the corridors of the hotels in the Ethiopian capital have seen a flurry of financial briefcases, in an open attempt to influence the course of diplomatic elections that should be fair and transparent.
These practices once again reflect Algeria’s approach of resorting to vote buying when it fails to impose its vision through traditional diplomatic means.
After its embarrassing failure to secure a seat on the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, Algeria fears repeating the disappointment, which has led it to send an army of intermediaries with an unlimited budget, on a clear mission: to “convince” the member states through direct financial inducements, away from any diplomatic or strategic considerations beneficial to the African continent.
Instead of strengthening African cooperation based on mutual interests and balanced partnerships, Algeria insists on adhering to a policy of political blackmail and buying allegiances, thus entrenching its approach of exploiting African institutions to serve its regional agendas.
This approach not only harms Algeria’s credibility but also weakens the African Union, which over the years has turned into a playground for Algerian maneuvers, rather than being a space for collective action aimed at the continent’s development and stability.
Algeria’s insistence on this shameful method not only undermines the transparency of the elections within the African Union but also threatens the structural reform of the continental organization, which today, more than ever, needs fair elections that reflect the will of the member states, not the desires of regional powers seeking influence at any cost.
