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Lobbying 2016: Self-reliant Algeria cracks open the door to US influence

A student walks past a map at a school in the Smara refugee camp in Algeria's Tindouf province on February 25, 2016.
The Western Sahara is a territory bordered by Morocco and Algeria and disputed by Spain and Morocco who both claiming sovereignty. / AFP / Farouk Batiche        (Photo credit should read FAROUK BATICHE/AFP/Getty Images)

Fiercely autonomous Algeria is on a mission to cement US ties as regional tensions rise and oil revenues crash.

The North African giant needs Washington's help to shore up a fledgling political settlement in war-torn Libya while preventing a simmering conflict in the Western Sahara from flaring up. At the same time, the country is working overtime to convince US companies of its potential as a stable, profitable destination for their investments.

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