Lobbying 2016: Self-reliant Algeria cracks open the door to US influence

Fiercely autonomous Algeria is on a mission to cement US ties as regional tensions rise and oil revenues crash.

The North African giant needs Washington's help to shore up a fledgling political settlement in war-torn Libya while preventing a simmering conflict in the Western Sahara from flaring up. At the same time, the country is working overtime to convince US companies of its potential as a stable, profitable destination for their investments.

“What we are asking the United States is how to make sure that the American business community — American companies — do have their share of the opportunities offered by Algeria," Ambassador to Washington Madjid Bouguerra told Al-Monitor in a June interview at his Washington office. "The doors are open to them, in many sectors.”

The ambassador, in post for 18 months, is intent on demystifying a country that still bears the scars of a brutal war of independence followed by an Islamist uprising in the 1990s. While US ties date back to the 1795 Treaty of Peace and Amity, they remain delicate due to Algeria's Cold War-era ties to Russia and lingering tensions with US ally Morocco.