HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif Baraka
In a development that reflects the sensitivity of regional balances, officials in the energy and minerals sector in France have called on the authorities in Algeria to deal cautiously and deliberately with the file of exploiting the Ghar Jbilet mine located in the Tindouf region, warning of the repercussions of any unilateral steps that could complicate the legal and diplomatic situation of the project.
This warning comes in a complex historical context, as the mine is linked to a partnership agreement dating back to 1972 between Morocco and Algeria, which included understandings on the exploitation of shared mineral resources, within the framework of an integrated approach that aimed to enhance economic cooperation between the two countries.
Although this agreement has not been fully activated, it remains a legal reference that experts invoke when assessing any individual move in this file.
The Ghar Jbilet mine is one of the largest untapped iron reserves in the world, with its resources estimated at billions of tons, making it a strategic project with dimensions that go beyond the economic aspect to complex geopolitical bets, especially in light of the increasing global demand for raw materials associated with heavy industry and energy transformation.
Informed sources indicate that the French warning is not separate from wider concerns within European circles about the escalation of regional tensions, as any disregard for previous agreements may open the door to international legal disputes, whether through arbitration or through specialized international institutions.
Also, the entry of new international partners into the project, without settling the previous legal situation, may complicate the scene and affect the attractiveness of investment.
In contrast, Algeria has been seeking in recent years to accelerate the pace of exploitation of the mine, through partnerships with international actors, with the aim of diversifying its economy and reducing dependence on hydrocarbons. However, this dynamic clashes, according to observers, with the legacy of old agreements, and with the tense regional environment that makes any major economic project a hostage to precise political calculations.
Experts in international law believe that the ideal solution lies in reopening channels of dialogue, whether bilaterally or through multi-party mediations, to avoid turning a promising economic project into a new hotspot of tension in the region. They also emphasize that respecting previous commitments, or renegotiating them, remains the safest option to ensure the stability of investments and protect the strategic interests of all parties.
In light of these data, it seems that the Ghar Jbilet file is likely to remain at the heart of regional balances, where considerations of sovereignty, economics and international law intersect, making it a real test of the ability of actors to prioritize the logic of partnership over the logic of escalation.
