A leak from the Algerian secret service revealed Tebboune's location and plans in Lisbon
It was one of the most talked-about scenes of Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's state trip to Portugal. In Lisbon, leaving the city hall of the Portuguese capital, the presidential retinue was pelted with several eggs thrown by activists from the Algerian community in Portugal.
Videos of the event quickly circulated on social media, provoking laughter and controversy. However, this incident demonstrates a failure within Algeria's own secret services. As Maghreb Intelligence points out, confidential and secret information was leaked from within Algerian intelligence, specifically from the foreign services. This allowed Algerian anti-Tebboune activists to learn of his location and plans in Lisbon. At this point it is worth noting that the Algerian community in the Iberian country is very small, barely 5,000 people. It is therefore very difficult to mobilise people to protest against Tebboune's visit.
The portal recalls that the programme of the Algerian leader's trip to Portugal was confidential, which is why the announcement of the visit was kept secret until the last moment. Only the Algerian intelligence services, who had been preparing and planning the itinerary shortly before the end of May in coordination with the Portuguese authorities, were aware of the plans.
For these reasons, Maghreb Intelligence stresses that the tip-off that allowed the activists to throw eggs at Tebboune came from foreign intelligence services. In this sense, one wonders what the motive for the leak was. It could be a plot to destabilise the Algerian president as he seeks international partners, or to boycott his candidacy for a second term in the next presidential elections in 2024. What is clear is that this altercation demonstrates problems within Algerian power and intelligence, which is why the incident is being investigated at the request of Tebboune's close associates.
Tebboune's visit to Portugal was aimed at strengthening energy ties. For Algiers, this trip was also aimed at finding a partner to replace Spain, with whom it has become significantly estranged after Madrid's turnaround on Western Sahara. Spanish President Pedro Sánchez's recognition of Morocco's autonomy plan for the region as 'the most serious, realistic and credible basis' provoked a major diplomatic crisis with Algeria, which unilaterally broke the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Spain. Similarly, Algiers temporarily interrupted trade with Madrid, which caused supply problems in the Algerian market, resulting in price hikes and social unrest.
