DR ‹ › It's now official: Kamel Bouchama is no longer Algeria's ambassador to Lebanon. A presidential decree, signed on December 10 and published in the latest edition of the Official Journal, has confirmed the end of his tenure. The document states that the diplomat has been «granted retirement as of October 9, 2025». Kamel Bouchama was urgently recalled on October 2 by the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, coinciding with the UN Security Council's preparations to discuss a draft resolution on the Western Sahara issue. This move was intended to mitigate the fallout from a controversial public statement made by the former ambassador. During a rally in Beirut supporting Palestinians, Bouchama labeled U.S. President Donald Trump as «mentally ill» and a «cowboy», comments that embarrassed Algerian authorities amidst a delicate diplomatic situation. This dismissal is in line with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's political strategy, which aims to avoid any friction with Donald Trump. This approach has been evident in Algeria's cautious stance at the UN Security Council, as well as the concessions made to American oil giants ExxonMobil and Chevron. Even this week, the Algerian government has maintained silence regarding the 127.32% tax imposed by the Trump administration on imports of steel rebar from Algeria. This economic sanction, initially set for 75 days, could be intensified if the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) concludes that these imports threaten the American steel industry.
