Moroccans react to Algeria’s decision to severe its diplomatic ties with Morocco

Rabat- There has been still no official reaction from the Moroccan government to the Algeria’s decision to freeze its diplomatic relations with Morocco.

But some Moroccan officials said that the decision made the Algerian government translate their disarray and disorientation because of Morocco’s diplomatic success regarding the Sahara dispute over the past two months.

"The Diplomatic offensives carried out by Morocco in 2013 have dealt a blow to Algeria, which finds itself disoriented by these successes to the point that the Algerian spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed this Sunday his country’s decision to severe its ties with the kingdom,” a Moroccan official was quoted by Moroccan French language portal Le 360.ma as saying. 

The Algerian government justified its decision by what it called the “scandalous” sentence handed by the Casablanca tribunal to the Moroccan man who tore the Algerian flag.

But Moroccans say that this event is used by Algeria just an excuse that translates its frustration to see Morocco achieving diplomatic successes on multiples fronts, including in Africa.

“It is clear that the Algerians react in this manner after their failure to push the European Parliament to refuse the signing of a fishing agreement with Morocco, and Morocco’s successful attempt to play a pivotal role in stabilizing Mali,” Dr. Mohamed Chtatou, Professor at University Mohammed V in Rabat, told MWN.

“In addition to that, the Algerians are annoyed by the successful visit of King Mohammed VI to the United States and his meeting with President Barack Obama, after which the American head of State pledged his support to a mutually agreed-upon and political solution to the Sahara conflict,” he added.

For her part Karima Rhanem, a Moroccan Researcher in Governance & Public Policy, expressed her disbelief to see that the Algerian government decided to freeze its ties with Morocco using the excuse of the verdict of the Casablanca tribunal against the Moroccan who tore the Algerian flag.

“I am very surprised to hear this decision. I am even surprised it was a reaction to the Moroccan court verdict regarding the Moroccan who took down the Algerian flag. Neither the Moroccan government nor another foreign entity could interfere in the court decision and this should be clear to our neighbors,” she said.

“Right after this incident, we saw several Algerians setting fire on the Moroccan flag. Yet, the Moroccan government didn't freeze its relations,” she noted.

Karima, who has traveled several times to the Maghreb region and works to reinforce the cultural, economic and fraternal ties that binds the countries of the Maghreb, called on Algerian officials to “rethink their strategies before dragging the two countries and the region into a useless cold war.”

“Regardless of the current tension between the two countries, intellectuals from Morocco and Algeria are calling for reinforcing these ties and ending this artificial conflict. I call on the Algerian Government to hold back this unprecedented decision before leading both countries into a useless cold war," she said.

"The Algerian and Moroccan people's will to sustain partnership and friendship ties should not be undermined by this decision. People of the two countries need more economic prosperity, need cultural partnership, employment opportunities, social justice, a unified Maghreb rather than an endless conflict," she concluded.