Algeria turns to Sufi soft power to ease Sahel tensions

Algeria is turning to Sufi diplomacy to rebuild strained ties with Sahelian neighbours, deploying spiritual influence where formal diplomacy has faltered. In a symbolic move backed by the state, Sheikh Ali Belarabi, leader of the influential Tijaniyya order, visited Burkina Faso aboard a presidential plane for a week of religious and political engagement, according to the Spanish news site Atalayar.

The Sheikh’s meetings with Burkinabe officials came weeks after Algeria’s military downed a Malian drone, prompting diplomatic ruptures with Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. Analysts view Belarabi’s mission as a calculated effort by Algiers to use shared spiritual heritage to ease geopolitical tensions.

Sufi orders like the Tijaniyya, deeply rooted in the region, offer Algeria an alternative channel of influence amid the rise of jihadist groups and foreign competition. Further visits to Chad and Libya are reportedly planned as Algeria seeks to reassert its regional role through spiritual diplomacy rather than statecraft alone.