News Analysis: Algeria strives to solve Libyan crisis amid complex challenges

ALGIERS, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The year 2017 has not been easy for Algeria, as the North African nation continues to face security challenges amid instability in neighboring countries, particularly Libya, said a political analyst.

"The challenges facing Algeria are mainly related to the problems of its bordering countries," said Ismail Maaraf in an interview with Xinhua.

"Algeria's security will remain at risk as long as the security situation does not get better in the African Sahel Region, in addition to Libya, in particular, and Tunisia," said Maaraf, adding that Algerian authorities had decided to earmark an additional budget for defense sector, and establish a new military base on the Libyan border, to stiffen control over the 1,200-km-long borderline with this trouble-ridden nation, in a bid to thwart intrusion of arms and terrorists.

Army forces have been put on high alert, while more budget has been allocated to the Defense Ministry to meet various military demands and ultimately to get ready for any emergency. These challenges are a burden on the public treasury, amid economic crisis hitting the country.

Besides, Algeria has spent more than 100 million U.S. dollars in the last ten years to provide counterterrorism training for special forces from five Sahel countries, including Mali, Chad, Niger, Mauritania and Burkina Faso, revealed Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia during the African Union-European Union Forum in Senegal earlier this month.

He said that political solution advocated by Algeria in Libya is inspired by its experience in the fight against terrorism, admitting that the role of Algeria to bring back peace in Libya was not enough.

In this regard, the neighboring Morocco managed to gather Libyan warrant parties to reach a peace deal known as Skhirat agreement signed in December 2015.

This agreement has been recognized by Algeria as the cornerstone of resolving the crisis in Libya, despite the need of some amendment, according to Algerian Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel.

Masahel stressed at a meeting on Libya, on the sidelines of the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in mid 2017, that the Libyan crisis can only be resolved politically with the need to provide Libyans the amendment they deem appropriate to implement the Skhirat agreement unanimously and accelerate the peace process.

In fact, Algiers is still concerned that the instability in Libya would affect homeland security of Algeria in the long run. Such a concern has forced the North African nation to back up the Skhirat agreement although it was signed in the neighboring Morocco with whom diplomatic relations are cold.

Algeria rejects any foreign intervention in Libya, and Masahel said that the solution of the Libyan issue should be reached among Libyans themselves.

On Dec. 17, 2015, a UN-sponsored political agreement was signed between Libyan rival parties in the Moroccan resort of Skhirat, as a national unity government led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Serraj was established. The top mission of Serraj was to unite Libya's two warring parliaments to ultimately battle the terrorists. Enditem