Algeria decided, Wednesday, September 22, the "immediate" closure of its airspace to all Moroccan civil and military aircraft, as well as to aircraft registered in Morocco.

"The High Security Council has decided to immediately close the airspace to all civilian and military planes, as well as those registered in Morocco," the presidency announced in an official statement released after the meeting. a meeting of the High Security Council, chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and devoted to examining the situation at the borders with its neighbor, Morocco.

A decision taken "in view of the continuation of provocations and hostile practices on the part of Morocco," the statement said, without specifying the content of these "hostile practices".

Breakdown of diplomatic relations

On August 24, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco, after months of heightened tensions between these two rival Maghreb countries.

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra then criticized Rabat for "never having ceased to carry out hostile actions against Algeria".

"The Moroccan security services and propaganda are waging a despicable war against Algeria, its people and its leaders," he accused.

Months of heightened tensions

Traditionally difficult, relations between these two Maghreb countries have experienced a recent deterioration due, in particular, to the thorny issue of Western Sahara.

The normalization of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel, in return for an American recognition of Moroccan "sovereignty" over this territory, further heightened tensions with Algeria, support of the Palestinian cause, which denounced "maneuvers foreign "aimed at destabilizing it.

Diplomatic ties had been severed for the first time between the two countries when, on March 7, 1976, Rabat ended its relations with Algiers, which had recognized the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), self-proclaimed by the separatists of the Polisario Front.

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR