Bouteflika in talks with Libya’s Abdul Jallil

Algerian president Abdelazid Bouteflika has met for the first time Libya’s interim President Mustapha Abdul Jallil on the sidelines of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Doha today. The meeting, the first between the Algerian president and his Libyan counterpart comes amid increased tensions between the two north African states in the aftermath of Colonel Muamar Gadaffi’s ousting in August. Talks between the two men are expected to focus on the asylum granted by Algeria to Gaddafi’s family in late August as well as border closures which were put in place at the same time to avoid Libyan militias coming in to Algeria. Tensions grew between the neighbouring countries when Libya’s Transitional Council accused Algeria of supporting Gaddafi and providing the former leader with arms to quell the Benghazi led revolt that started in February. Algerian authorities have always denied this accusation while refusing to support the rebel movement. Algeria argued that it would not meddle in an internal affair and opposed the Nato led bombing campaign which led to the Colonel’s demise. Libya for its part said that Algeria’s position was motivated by fear of a spread of the revolt within its borders. While sporadic protests erupted in January and February following Egypt’s Hosni Mubarek’s ousting, Algerians have refrained from popular revolt and have shown very little support for Libya’s uprising seen locally as orchestrated by Western powers keen to take control of Libya’s natural resources. In a poll conducted by Algerian daily El Watan, 72% of respondents wanted Algeria to grant Gaddafi’s family permanent asylum.