Algeria and the US join forces to push Russia out of Africa

The countries have signed a military cooperation agreement that could be the first step towards Algeria abandoning Russian weapons.

Algeria has signed a memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation with the United States, Gospodarka Morska reports.

Washington hopes that the agreement will pave the way for the purchase of American weapons and weaken Russia’s position in North and West Africa.

Algeria is the largest arms importer in Africa and has the largest defense budget on the continent. According to Bloomberg, in 2025 the country will spend a record $25.1 billion on defense.

Despite the new agreement with the United States, Algeria remains one of the largest customers of the Russian military-industrial complex. According to the Washington Institute, more than 85% of the military equipment of the Algerian army is Russian-made.

In 2021, Algeria signed a $7 billion contract with Moscow for the supply of weapons, including Su-57 fighters, Project 877 and 636.6 diesel-electric submarines, and Caliber cruise missiles.

Because of this contract, the United States planned to impose sanctions against Algeria in 2022. Republican Senator Marco Rubio, who currently heads the State Department, made a corresponding call.

However, instead of sanctions, the Donald Trump administration decided to try to oust Russia from the African arms market by offering Algeria lucrative contracts for the supply of American weapons.

At the end of January, the memorandum was signed by the head of the African military command (AFRICOM), General Michael Langley, and the Minister of Defense of Algeria, General Said Chengriha.

Analysts at the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) note that the military rapprochement with the United States indicates a weakening of Algeria’s relations with Russia, with which it has begun to compete for influence in the Sahel region.

One of the main points of tension between Algeria and Russia has become Mali. Thus, the leader of the military junta, Asim Goyta, is actively cooperating with Russia. In January 2024, Moscow transferred light tanks and armored vehicles to Mali, and earlier – combat helicopters and fighter jets.

Algeria is especially outraged by the presence in Mali of Russian mercenaries from the “Wagner Group”, who, together with the Malian military, operate near the Algerian borders under the pretext of fighting terrorism. The Algerian government believes that Russia is purposefully weakening its positions in the region and supporting hostile military regimes in the Sahel countries.

The signing of the military agreement with the United States was a powerful signal to Washington about its readiness for expanded cooperation. According to The Arab Weekly, this indicates Algeria’s intention to gradually reduce its dependence on Russia for defense.

Earlier, USM reported that a US court is deciding the fate of Russian oligarch Kerimov’s superyacht. The process is being held up by a Putin confidant.