Within days, Algerian state media and regime-aligned outlets have unleashed a fresh wave of conspiracy theories, the latest and most theatrical targeting the United Arab Emirates.
On the heels of the diplomatic rupture with Abu Dhabi, official and semi-official channels claimed the Emirates is preparing a “foreign legion” of 3,000 to 4,000 mercenaries explicitly aimed at Algeria.
The allegation, amplified by public broadcaster AL24 News and echoed across regime platforms, arrives without documents, recruitment evidence, timelines beyond vague 2027-2028 projections, or any independent corroboration.
It is presented as the culmination of years of “hostile acts”, a catch-all phrase that has also encompassed alleged support for Kabyle independence movement known as MAK.
The new baseless accusation came right after Algeria announced the arrest in Oran of 61 Moroccan nationals allegedly preparing “acts of sabotage.” The sole material evidence publicly displayed were unverified Moroccan passports and modest sums in dirhams and euros. No weapons. No explosives. No named targets. No operational plans.
State media offered only group photos, most have been generated using AI, triggering mockery of international media including RFI.
The use of conspiracy theories is a familiar pattern in Tebboune’s Algeria. When egg prices rise, water cuts multiply, spare parts vanish, and young Algerians risk the Mediterranean, the regime reliably manufactures an external menace.
Morocco has long served as the default villain. Rabat has for years been blamed without proof for Kabylie wildfires, “Zionist spies” carrying Moroccan passports, election disruption via MAK networks, and even football setbacks.
Israel is routinely folded into the same narrative. Now the UAE has been elevated to co-star status in the same theater of distraction.
The timing is not accidental. The dual accusations surface ahead of expected United Nations Security Council discussion of the Sahara file, a dossier in which Algiers has steadily lost ground. They also follow a period of acute domestic strain and the costly decision to sever ties with a major Gulf investor.