Marrakech – Former Tunisian ambassador Elyes Kasri has reignited a long-dormant territorial dispute with Algeria, calling for Tunisia to reclaim approximately 20,000 km² of land he claims was unjustly incorporated into Algeria during the colonial era. His statements come in the wake of the UN Security Council’s recent adoption of Resolution 2797, which recognizes Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.

Kasri, who served as Tunisia’s ambassador to several countries, including Germany, Japan, India, and South Korea, published a series of pointed messages on social media following the October 31 UN resolution. He characterized the decision as marking “the end of the subversive fiction of Sahrawi separatism” and predicted it would cause “a political earthquake within the Algerian regime.”

The moment demonstrated to the “kabranat” regime that neither oil-derived wealth nor being the largest country in Africa – which might, in their own minds, imply hegemony and domination – can obscure reality forever. Just causes endure, outlast propaganda, and ultimately reclaim their rightful recognition.

The dispute centers around territories in the Grand Erg Oriental, including the oil-rich region around El Borma, which were allegedly transferred from Tunisian control to Algeria by French colonial authorities. According to Kasri, these lands rightfully belong to Tunisia based on historical claims and were never properly returned after independence.

“The territories and hydrocarbons stolen from all of Algeria’s neighbors have allowed the Mouradia clique to destabilize the Maghreb and the continent for half a century,” Kasri wrote, referring to Algeria’s presidential palace. He further accused Algeria of building its power on “the confiscation of regional resources.”

What makes this situation even more alarming is Tunisia’s accelerating slide toward becoming Algeria’s unofficial “59th wilaya” under President Kais Saied. His administration has consistently aligned with Algerian interests at the expense of Tunisia’s sovereignty and economic independence.

Tunisia’s autonomy weakens with each passing day

On October 7, Algerian Defense Minister Saïd Chengriha and his Tunisian counterpart Khaled Sehili signed a military and security cooperation agreement.

The secretive nature of this agreement, which received no official announcement from Tunisia’s presidency, foreign ministry, or defense department, speaks volumes about Algeria’s growing influence over Tuni