Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Algeria Eyes Cross-Border Missions as Fear of Militant Spillover Grows Nisan Ahmado WASHINGTON - Algeria approved constitutional amendmentsonSundaythat experts call an ambitious move to answer public demands after months of protestsandtosafeguard its borders against violent extremism spillover from Libya and other troubled neighbors. Since its independence from France in 1962, the North African country's constitution has stipulated that the army's mission is to defend Algeria's borders and sovereignty without breaching other nations' sovereignty. That changed in the Nov.1 referendum when articles 28 and 29 of the constitution where amended to allow cross-border operations upon the approval of two-thirds of its parliament and under the supervision of the Arab League, the African Union and the United Nations. "It is a pragmatic choice, the region isunstable,and Algeria is surrounded by states, mainly Mali, Niger and Mauritania,thatare considered to be[1]fragile states,soAlgeria needs to be ready if a conflict erupts in its neighbors," Dalia Ghanem, Algerian resident scholar at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut, told VOA. Ghanem saidthe newamendments to allow the army to carry out cross-border peacekeeping missions are an attempt by the new government to prepare Algerians for any future military interference in neighboring countries. Algeria has been in political unrest since 2019, when thousands of its citizens took to the streets to protest an attempt by Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for presidentfor a fifth consecutive term. The youth-led movement Hirak ended two decades of Bouteflika rule and brought AbdelmadjidTebbouneto power. The Sunday referendum, which coincidedwith the anniversary of Algeria's war for independence, approved the proposed changes with 66.8% of the votes despite a low turnout of about 23%. The amendments introducedpresidential term limits and createda new anti-corruption body, which the government says will help address the country's economic crisis. Hirak, however, says the amendments fall short of fundamental reform. The country's political transition over the months has been increasinglyrough as its bordersbecame morevulnerable to insurgent groups infiltratingalong thedesert terrain. Terror threats The Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC)inSeptember published its Algeria 2020 Crime and Safety Report that found terrorist groups remained active intheSahararegionwhere Algeria extends southward. "[Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb] AQIM, AQIM-allied groups, and ISIS elements, including the Algerian affiliate locally known as Jund al-Khilafahin Algeria (JAK-A, now calling itself ISIS-Algeria), are present. These groups aspire to attack Algerian security services, local government targets, and Western interests," the report said. The report warnedof"immediate cross-border threats" to Algeria, including the presence of 4,000violentLibyan extremists near Algeria'seastern border. It also cited concerns coming from Tunisia where AQIM leaders were trying to unify factions in Algeria. While Algerian officials in the past were largely passive toward conflict in their region, they are now recognizing the necessity of military engagement in addition to diplomacy to assert their role in regional affairs, according to AndrewLebovich, apolicy fellowat the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). "Algeria has been concerned regarding the security of its borders foryears andhas become particularly acute since the revolution in Libya, the Tuareg Rebellion in Mali of 2012, and of course several attacks in Algerian towns,"Lebovichsaid. USstand SincetheSept.11, 2001,terrorist attacks, Algeriahas maintained close counterterrorism cooperation with the United States. Some observers say that the scope of security and military relations hasimproved in recent monthsbecause ofthe rising ability of jihadist groups to maneuver across North Africa. "The U.S.is trying to haveamore holistic and involved approach in theregion andtrying to continuingly foster a closer defense relationship with Algeria, particularly in a time when U.S.government is concerned about the influence of other powers in North Africa and West Africa, Russia, China and Turkey,"Lebovichsaid. In late September,Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, the commander of U.S. Africa Command,visited the Algerian capital,Algiers,where he met with PresidentTebbouneto discuss increasing cooperation on regional stability. "Algeria is a committed counterterrorism partner. They play a central role to the security of North Africa and the Mediterranean," Townsend said, stressing the region's importance for the interests of the U.S., Africa and Europe. In a separate visit on Oct.1, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said hespokewith Algerian officialsaboutthe threat imposed by extremist groups intheSahara and Sahel regions. "There are a number of areas where we plan to increase our cooperation, such as in counterterrorism. We look to improve our exercises and training together," Esper said. "We also discussed other issues involving our militaries, which I am confident will increase our interoperability as well." Some experts say the recent top visits, while an extension of U.S. policy toward Algeria, indicate Washington predicts a growing military influence of Algiers as it shifts away from its non-interventionist position. "We started to see more AQ [al-Qaida] activity in the Maghreb along with Malian Algerian border. The first time,fromaState Department delegation,was in 2008 when it was the firsttimewe discussed Mali with Algeria," said Robert Ford, a former US ambassador to Algeria (2006-08) and professor at Yale University. "Esper's visit is not a change in the policy, it is a continuation in the policy," he told VOA. 'Vulnerable situation' While the new constitutional amendments can improve Algeria's security, its main aim is to answer the reform demands of protesters on the streets, the Algerian government says. PresidentTebbounehadclaimed that "Algerians will make history for a sought-after real change." However, experts say the low voter turnout suggests that Hirak's call for a boycott found support among a large population of Algerians. Hirak is the first mass movement since the decade-long civil war (1991--2002) between Islamic guerrillas and the government. The war claimed an estimated200,000 lives. Some experts say the ghost of the civil war isstillpresent in the country as it struggles to respond to challenges ranging from economic crisis to political unrest and extremist threat. "Algeria's internal political situation is difficult now; the Algerian economy is suffering [and], little by little, its foreign exchange reserves are disappearing," Ford said, adding that these conditions are similar the crisis of legitimacy and political unrest thatledto theinternal conflict of the 1990s. References 1. https://fragilestatesindex.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/9511904-fragilestatesindex.pdf .