The Americans Disembark in Algiers

A Great Initiative Is Launched for North Africa

The U.S. is not giving up hope of establishing itself on a permanent basis in the North African mass market. To that end, the heads of communications at the U.S. embassy in Algiers have indicated that a vast initiative will be launched on December 1-2 in Algiers bound for the countries of the Maghreb.

We learn from the same source that “Undersecretary Robert D. Hormats met today with senior economic officials from Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia for discussions,” specifying that this meeting, which took place in Washington on October 8, focused mainly upon “…increasing U.S. engagement in the region, including private sector partnerships and possible areas for U.S.-North Africa regional economic cooperation, including the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference to be held on December 1-2 in Algiers.”

Sellal Sets the Tone

The undersecretary of state informed the officials that “…Assistant Secretary Jose W. Fernandez will lead the U.S. delegation to the U.S.-Maghreb Entrepreneurship Conference.” However, we have also learned that Water Resources Minister Abdelmalek Sellal will go to Washington before this meeting on Friday, October 22, where he will partner with the Algerian ambassador to Washington, Abdallah Baali, at a seminar on water resources in Algeria. Mr. Sellal will be accompanied by a delegation of experts from his department as well as experts from the Ministry of Agriculture.

Algeria has launched an ambitious program for 2010-2014 in order to modernize its infrastructure. Water resources are one of the main areas regarding this endeavor. No less than 19 dams will be built during this period, as well as the total replacement of the water distribution system and the construction of new drinking and waste water treatment plants. The primary aim of this exclusive event will be to create business partnerships with American companies that are interested by tendering invitations, which will be issued soon by the Water Resources Department — invitations that are already whetting American companies’ appetites. This meeting, organized by the U.S.-Algeria Business Council with the Algerian ambassador to Washington, is in fact merely a prelude to the main meeting in December.

The American initiative bears the name of “North African Partnership.” It will target young people in the Maghreb via five main routes: entrepreneurship, helping the unemployed, leadership, art and culture, and the emancipation of women. In a sense, it’s a reviewed and corrected version of the initiative launched by President Bush called MEPI (Middle East Partnership Initiative).

In a speech in 2002, President Bush announced his intention to launch a partnership initiative with the Middle East (Middle East Partnership Initiative, or MEPI). It involved promoting business creation, but also supported big projects such as the creation of a regional free trade zone and a forum on judicial and legal reform. In contrast to the Bush initiative, the one Obama is launching does not include the Middle East.

The Wave of Initiatives

Moreover, it’s the first time the Americans have disassociated North Africa from the Middle East in their strategy. The conference will bring together North African business leaders and entrepreneurs, young aspiring entrepreneurs in the region, business leaders from North African emigrant communities and U.S. business leaders and entrepreneurs. Some of the discussions conducted will stick to key issues as well as the main obstacles of entrepreneurship, in particular, the lessons learned from the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship: access to capital; small and medium-sized businesses; the prospects of business leaders from the U.S. and the Maghreb; cross-border initiatives in terms of business partnerships; transatlantic business networking; innovation and technology incubators; and finally, business prospects in the arts.

The initiative has the backing of the highest American authority, namely, the Department of State. It’s a veritable wave of initiatives from the Western powers in North Africa. We are far from Bush’s America, which swore only by tanks, and from Chirac’s France, which rejected the war in Iraq.

While Sarkozy’s France takes to the slippery slope of security matters, notably in the Sahel, which as a result leaves him looking bellicose, Obama’s America responds with a vast initiative in the region.