Algeria’s Descent into Ruin: A Nation on the Brink

Algeria is a nation on the verge of collapse, ensnared in a web of corruption, economic stagnation, and an iron-fisted regime that prioritizes military power over the well-being of its people. Despite possessing vast natural resources, the country’s leadership has squandered every opportunity to lift the nation out of poverty, choosing instead to focus on militarization and self-preservation at the expense of the people it is meant to serve.

The recent purchase of Russian Su-57 stealth fighters is the perfect example of Algeria’s misguided priorities. At a time when the country faces widespread unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and an education system on the brink of collapse, the government is pouring billions into military hardware. Teachers are on strike, protesting paltry wages and deplorable working conditions, yet the regime ignores their pleas, choosing to invest in weapons rather than addressing the nation’s desperate need for basic services. This is not just mismanagement; it is a betrayal of the people.

Algeria’s foreign policy is just as disastrous. The government’s unwavering support for oppressive regimes, combined with its failure to bring home its own fighters detained in Syria, paints a picture of a state entirely disconnected from the needs of its citizens. Algeria’s rivalry with Morocco continues to sabotage critical regional projects, such as the Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, while its obsession with competition over cooperation further isolates the country from the rest of North Africa. At a time when regional cooperation is essential for stability, Algeria’s petty rivalries and self-destructive policies leave it stuck in the past, watching helplessly as its neighbors move forward.

On the international stage, Algeria is a shadow of its former self. While Morocco strengthens its alliances with global powers, Algeria clings to outdated tactics and feeble political maneuvering. President Tebboune’s administration is mired in scandal, accused of fraud and repression, and the public has lost all faith in the government. Algeria’s once-prominent role in the African Union is now nothing more than a hollow façade, as its diplomatic influence continues to crumble under the weight of its own incompetence.

Meanwhile, the devastating effects of France’s nuclear tests in the Sahara still haunt Algerians, but the government has done nothing to seek justice or provide assistance to the affected communities. Instead of standing up for its people, Algeria’s leadership remains fixated on maintaining its grip on power, even as the country sinks further into despair.

Economically, Algeria is stagnating. Despite being home to some of the world’s largest oil and gas reserves, the country is struggling to break free from its over-reliance on these resources. Corruption runs rampant, and the economy remains stagnant, with youth unemployment reaching crippling levels. The government has done nothing to diversify the economy, and its failure to implement even basic reforms has left the country dangerously vulnerable. Young people, desperate for a better future, are fleeing in droves, leaving behind a hollowed-out nation with no hope for the future.

Public dissatisfaction is at an all-time high, with protests erupting across the country as citizens demand change. But instead of responding to these calls for reform, the government has chosen repression. Political opposition is crushed, journalists are silenced, and anyone who dares to speak out against the regime is met with violence and intimidation. Algeria is no longer a functioning democracy; it is an authoritarian state, completely out of touch with the needs of its people.

Algeria’s leadership is obsessed with maintaining power at any cost. But this reckless obsession with control is tearing the country apart. Decades of misrule have left the nation’s institutions in ruins, its economy on life support, and its people desperate for change. The government’s response has been predictable: more militarization, more repression, and more betrayal of the very citizens it claims to serve.

As if to add insult to injury, Algeria’s leadership has now turned to the United States in a last-ditch effort to shore up its flagging influence. On January 22, 2025, Algeria signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the US, marking a new chapter in its foreign policy. But this so-called “shift” is nothing more than a desperate ploy to remain relevant on the international stage.

The deal, which opens the door for increased military cooperation, might seem like a strategic move on the surface. But in reality, it’s a sign of Algeria’s deepening dependence on external powers to compensate for its own failures. Rather than addressing the internal crises that have left the country in ruins, the regime is looking outward, hoping that foreign military support can somehow mask its own incompetence. This deal is nothing more than a bandaid on a gaping wound.

The US sees Algeria as a potential partner in stabilizing the Sahel and countering terrorism, but it’s unclear how much real influence the country can wield given its internal chaos. While the US may see an opportunity to counter Russian influence in the region, Algeria is clearly playing a dangerous game of opportunism, seeking to align with the US as it slowly distances itself from Russia, its former ally. This shift reflects Algeria’s growing desperation, as it seeks to diversify its military partnerships after years of dependence on Russian arms.

But let’s be clear: This partnership does nothing to address the root causes of Algeria’s decline. Military cooperation with the US won’t solve Algeria’s economic crisis, curb corruption, or end the brutal repression of its people. It’s a desperate attempt to cling to power, and it’s destined to fail. As Algeria aligns itself with external powers, it continues to ignore the needs of its citizens, who are suffering from a regime that is more concerned with military might than with ensuring their basic rights and freedoms.

This shift in foreign policy may give Algeria a temporary sense of relevance, but it cannot mask the fact that the country is on the brink of collapse. The leadership is so consumed by maintaining its grip on power that it is willing to sacrifice everything—its people, its resources, its future—in the process. The US-Algeria defense agreement is not a sign of strength; it’s a sign of weakness, a last-ditch attempt to maintain a façade of stability in a nation already on the edge of failure.

Algeria is a country in freefall. Its leadership is mired in corruption, repression, and a relentless pursuit of power, with no regard for the consequences. The nation’s economy is stagnating, its people are desperate, and its international influence is in decline. The regime’s focus on militarization at the expense of basic governance is the ultimate betrayal of the Algerian people.

The recent US-Algeria defense deal is nothing more than a desperate attempt to salvage what’s left of Algeria’s international standing. But it won’t save the country from its inevitable collapse. Unless Algeria’s leadership embraces true reform, the nation is doomed to continue its downward spiral into isolation, instability, and failure. The people of Algeria deserve better—much better—but they are being abandoned by a government that is more focused on clinging to power than on securing a future for its citizens.