Relations between Algeria and Morocco are still not in good shape.
After almost three years of total breakdown in their diplomatic relations, the two countries are at odds again.
The subject of the dispute this time concerns a proposed confiscation by Rabat of property belonging to the Algerian embassy.
According to information from the Maghreb Intelligence site published Friday March 15, the Moroccan government has decided "to expropriate several real estate and land properties belonging to the Algerian state" in the Moroccan capital "for the purposes of extending service premises reporting to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat.
The authorities have made no official announcement on this subject and no comment could be obtained by AFP from Moroccan diplomacy.
“Unspeakable violation”
Algiers reacted firmly to this project.
“Algeria condemns this spoliation operation characterized in the most energetic terms,” the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a statement on Sunday, adding that Algiers “will respond to these provocations by all means it deems appropriate.” .
Algeria considers that "there is an unspeakable violation of respect and the duty of protection with regard to the diplomatic representations of sovereign States which are protected by both international law and custom", continued the ministry.
This act is "in contravention of civilized international practices" and "seriously derogates from the obligations of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations which require [Morocco, Editor's note] to respect and protect the embassies on its territory whatever circumstances."
Algeria denounces the expropriation of its property in Morocco pic.twitter.com/HmmsryH2ch
— Ali Boukhlef (@alakli) March 17, 2024
According to the Moroccan daily Assabah cited by the website Le 360, "a draft decree relating to the expropriation of property held by the Algerian Republic was published in the edition devoted to legal, judicial and administrative announcements of the Official Bulletin dated March 13. In This draft decree, it is clearly specified that, for reasons of extension of the administrative premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was decided to launch the procedure for expropriation of the land necessary for the construction of these new outbuildings."
Questioned by this daily, political scientist Abderrahim Manar Slimi, president of the Atlantic Center for Strategic Studies, explained that "the expropriation decision is a sovereign decision of the Moroccan State, even if the land and real estate subject to this decision belong to the Algerian State. The decision will be executed transparently and in accordance with what the law provides."
The academic also clarified that the expropriation procedure did not relate in any way to the headquarters of the Algerian embassy, but to properties located around the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which "is a little cramped given the importance of the kingdom as a regional power".
According to the Afrik.com site, this Moroccan decision could be a response to the recent authorization given by Algeria to the opening of an office of the Rif National Party (PNR) in Algiers.
"This party is however described as 'separatist' by Morocco. And Rabat saw this Algerian decision as interference in its internal affairs", specifies this site on African news.
Influence game in the Sahel
For political scientist Khadija Mohsen-Finan, this new episode of tensions also takes place in a particular period.
“There is a loss of Algerian influence in the Sahel which benefits Morocco. Mali recently ended the Algiers agreement which was signed in 2015,” underlines this Maghreb specialist, teacher at the Sorbonne University.
At the end of January, the junta in power in Mali announced the termination of the important Algiers agreement signed with the northern independence groups, long considered essential to stabilize the country.
A way of sidelining Algeria, the main regional mediator of this very sensitive issue.
For its part, Rabat "moved forward" in the region, as Khadija Mohsen-Finan recalls: "There was a meeting on December 23 in Marrakech during which Morocco brought together four of the Sahel countries [ Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger and Chad, Editor's note] and offered them access to the Atlantic via Dakhla. These four countries were grateful and showed their closeness to the kingdom."
In other words, by offering a route to the ocean to these landlocked countries, Morocco is putting its pawns down and working to reduce the influence of its Algerian rival in the region.
This new episode is part of the “recurring tensions between the two countries” and “in the context of the breakdown of their relations”, summarizes Khadija Mohsen-Finan.
Algiers in fact broke off diplomatic relations with Rabat in August 2021, denouncing a series of “hostile acts” by its neighbor, particularly concerning Western Sahara and normalization with Israel.
The Western Sahara conflict, considered a "non-autonomous territory" by the UN in the absence of a definitive settlement, has pitted Morocco against the Polisario Front for decades, of which Algeria is the main supporter.
Rabat, which controls nearly 80% of Western Sahara, is proposing an autonomy plan under its sovereignty, while the Polisario separatists are demanding a self-determination referendum, planned by the UN in 1991 when a ceasefire was signed. -fire, but never materialized.
Every year, during his traditional speech marking the anniversary of his accession to the throne, Mohammed VI calls for rapprochement between the two neighboring countries.
Last July, the King of Morocco called for a “return to normal” with Algiers.
But for Khadija Mohsen-Finan, these execrable relations are not about to improve: "There is no glimmer of hope. It goes back a long time. It's been 60 years," she concludes.
With AFP
The France 24 summary of the week
invites you to look back at the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application