Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune hosted Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby Itno in Algiers on April 22 as part of an official visit aimed at strengthening strategic partnerships and economic cooperation. The invitation to the Chadian leader can be seen as part of Algeria’s broader initiative to reach out to the countries of the Sahel. The two sides also held a meeting of the Algerian-Chadian Joint Governmental Committee for Cooperation. The leaders signed some 30 agreements and memorandums of understanding on economic, security, and diplomatic cooperation, including a visa waiver for special passports, aiming to boost trade and regional stability.
The Algerian side promoted the Mediterranean port of Djen Djen “as a trade gateway for the Sahel and Saharan countries.” Algerian Foreign Minister Ahmed Attaf stressed the importance of the project and presented it as providing the landlocked countries of the Sahel access to the Mediterranean Sea. Cooperation and coordination in the areas of security and counterterrorism were also discussed to address the terror threats Chad and other Sahel countries are facing.