Tension has been hanging over the relations between Algeria and Morocco, the two powerful powers in northwestern Africa, for decades, due to the thorny issue of Western Sahara, the only region whose status is still pending in the African continent.

In the conflict over Western Sahara, Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario Front Liberation Front, since the Spanish colonial exit from the region in the 1970s, have faced each other in the conflict over Western Sahara.

Morocco controls about 80 percent of the territory of Western Sahara, and proposes to grant it autonomy under its sovereignty.

Cut the relationships

  • March 1976

Morocco cut diplomatic relations with Algeria after its recognition of the "Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic" declared by Polisario.

  • 1963

The “Sand War” broke out between the two neighboring countries following a series of border incidents, and the “Green March” in which 350,000 Moroccans took part in controlling Western Sahara in 1975 led to a deterioration in relations between the two countries.

Agreement on freedom of movement

  • February 1983

Moroccan King Hassan II held a bilateral summit with Algerian President Chadli Bendjedid at the border.

  • April 1983

Once again, free movement of residents of the two countries was allowed.

  • May 1983

It was agreed to gradually allow the free movement of people and goods between the two countries and the opening of airlines and railways.

Resumption of diplomatic relations

  • 11 July 1987

He met with Algerian Foreign Minister King Hassan II.

  • November 22, 1987

The Moroccan Foreign Minister visited Algeria.

  • May 16, 1987

Algeria and Morocco announced the resumption of diplomatic relations.

  • 5 June 1987

Officially opened the border between Algeria and Morocco.

  • 7 June 1987

King Hassan II made his first visit to Algeria in 15 years, and participated in an emergency Arab summit, while the visit of Algerian President Bendjedid to Ifrane - the first by an Algerian head of state to Morocco since 1972 - was the culmination of reconciliation, and an oil pipeline project was agreed to link Algeria in Europe via Morocco.

  • June 1992

Morocco's ratification of the June 1972 Treaty put an end to the border problems that led to the outbreak of the "Sand War".

Border closures

  • 16 August 1994

Morocco denounced statements by Algerian President Liamine Zeroual in which he considered Western Sahara an "occupied country".

  • 26 August 1994

Morocco imposed on Algeria to obtain a visa to enter its territory after an attack on a hotel in Marrakesh in which two Spanish tourists were killed. Rabat accused Algerian security forces of being involved in the attack, and Algeria closed its borders with Morocco.

  • 25 July 1999

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika participated in the funeral ceremony of King Hassan II in Rabat, but the beginning of the rapprochement was quickly undermined by a massacre that killed 29 people in southwestern Algeria.

Bouteflika accused Morocco of facilitating the infiltration of armed men into his country.

break the ice

  • March 1999

Several meetings held between President Bouteflika and Moroccan King Mohammed VI contributed to "breaking the ice".

  • July 2011

The Moroccan monarch announced his support for the reopening of the land borders and the normalization of relations with Algeria. Months later, Bouteflika confirmed his determination to re-establish relations for the benefit of both countries.

  • December 2019

King Mohammed VI called for a "new page" to be opened in a congratulatory message to the new Algerian president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Normalization of Moroccan-Israeli relations

  • December 2020

Algeria condemned "foreign maneuvers" aimed at destabilizing it, accusing Israel of doing so after the United States recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for the normalization of relations between the Kingdom and Israel. Algeria reiterated that "the Western Sahara issue is an issue of decolonization" and that "its solution lies in implementing international law".

renewed tension

  • 18 July 2021

Algeria recalled its ambassador to Morocco for "consultations".

A Moroccan diplomat had expressed his support for the separatist movement in the Kabylie region in response to Algeria's support for the separatists in Western Sahara.

  • 31 July 2021

Moroccan King Mohammed VI lamented the tensions between the two countries and called for the reopening of the land borders.

  • August 18, 2021

Algeria announced that it had decided to "reconsider" its relations with Morocco, which it accused of being involved in the massive fires that swept the north of the country.

  • August 24, 2021

The Algerian foreign minister announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Morocco due to the kingdom's "hostile actions" against it.