The date of August 24, 2021, will remain etched in the annals of Algerian diplomacy as the moment when Algeria, through the voice of Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, announced the severance of its diplomatic ties with the Kingdom of Morocco. This decision, described as historic, was not the result of emotional overreaction or an isolated incident. Rather, it represents the culmination of a long series of provocations, recurrent hostilities, and destabilizing attempts, the roots of which trace back to the very founding of the Moroccan monarchy as we know it today.
In this solemn declaration, Algeria took a firm and unequivocal stance, no longer viewing Morocco as a brotherly Maghreb neighbour, but as a disruptive actor threatening its stability and that of the broader region. The symbolism of the chosen date — the anniversary of Morocco's accusations against Algeria following the 1994 Marrakech attacks — lends a powerful memorial dimension to Algeria’s decision.
I. The "Greater Morocco" Ideology: An Expansionist Utopia Turned State Doctrine
This chimeric dream was institutionalized during the 1950s and 1960s, with the complicity of French intelligence services (notably the SDECE), who saw it as a means to contain revolutionary, pan-Arab Algeria.
Even the Moroccan Constitution refers to the restoration of “territorial integrity,” thus legally reinforcing this expansionist vision. It is therefore unsurprising that public discourse on social media goes beyond diplomatic discord: it reflects a deeply rooted national indoctrination, cultivated for over half a century.
II. Western Sahara: A Geopolitical Fracture
Morocco’s colonization of Western Sahara in 1975, following the so-called “Green March,” triggered a far-reaching regional crisis. This occupation, still unrecognized by the United Nations, has been marked by severe human rights violations, brutal repression, and the forced displacement of thousands of Sahrawis to Algeria, where many remain in refugee camps, notably in Tindouf.
Algeria, true to its anti-colonial principles, supports the Polisario Front and the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination, in line with UN resolutions. Yet Morocco tirelessly seeks to portray this principled support as interference, attempting to internationalize the conflict by accusing Algeria of masterminding it.
The recent U.S. recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara (under the Trump administration) in exchange for normalizing ties with Israel has further heightened tensions, transforming a colonial crisis into a national security concern for Algeria.
III. The 1994 Accusations: A Psychological Watershed
In August 1994, a terrorist attack in Marrakech claimed the lives of two Spanish tourists and injured a French national. Without conducting a serious investigation, Morocco accused Algeria of orchestrating the assault. This slanderous claim led to the imposition of visas for Algerians, prompting Algiers to respond by closing its borders — a measure still in effect today.
What shocked Algerians most was the treatment of their nationals then residing in Morocco: harassment, arbitrary arrests, police violence, and expropriations. This brutal stigmatization left a deep and lasting imprint on Algerian public opinion, fuelling a visceral and enduring rejection of the Moroccan regime.
IV. Covert Support for Terrorism and Subversion
During Algeria’s dark decade (1991–2002), Morocco was accused by Algiers of providing logistical and political support to terrorist groups operating on Algerian soil, notably the Armed Islamic Group (GIA). Testimonies by former GIA leader Abdelhak Layada, who claimed to have been hosted in a royal palace in Salé and welcomed as a potential ally by King Hassan II, lend credence to these allegations.
More recently, Rabat has been suspected of supporting and financing two groups considered terrorist organizations by Algeria: the MAK (Movement for the Self-Determination of Kabylia) and Rachad. Operating mainly from abroad, and often via Moroccan-based channels, these groups actively campaign against the Algerian state, aiming to sow internal discord.
V. A Media and Psychological Warfare
Pro-government Moroccan media outlets, backed by an organized digital army, have led a relentless smear campaign against Algeria in recent years. Social networks are saturated with hate speech, fake news, and defamatory video content.
Yet when King Mohammed VI issues calls for reconciliation, there is a sudden, inexplicable lull in this propaganda — a clear indication of state orchestration. For Algiers, such duplicity is unacceptable.
VI. Narcotics, Heritage Theft, and Cultural Infiltration
Morocco is one of the world’s largest exporters of cannabis resin. Algeria regularly accuses its neighbour of waging a narcotics war by flooding its territory with tonnes of drugs. According to Algerian authorities, this trafficking not only fuels criminal networks but also finances the remnants of terrorist groups.
Algeria also denounces the organized theft of its cultural heritage, facilitated by Franco-Moroccan circles and supported by international institutions where Morocco holds sway (notably UNESCO under the leadership of Audrey Azoulay). This strategy seeks to rewrite North African history to serve the narrative of the Moroccan monarchy.
VII. Normalization with Israel: A Diplomatic Shock
Morocco’s recognition of Israel in 2020, in exchange for U.S. support on the Western Sahara issue, was perceived by Algeria as a betrayal. Not only did this decision further isolate Algeria in its defence of the Palestinian cause, but it also brought a hostile foreign power to its doorstep, with whom Rabat has forged security and military partnerships.
For Algeria, this normalization merely formalized a longstanding covert alliance between the Makhzen and Tel Aviv, and constitutes a diplomatic casus belli.
Conclusion: A Necessary Break, An Inevitable Struggle
In the face of a crescendo of aggression, provocations, historical falsifications, diplomatic manipulations, defamation campaigns, support for terrorism, and repeated betrayals, Algeria had no alternative. The rupture of diplomatic relations with Morocco is not a fleeting emotional reaction, but a sovereign act, a cry of dignity, a red line drawn against the unacceptable.
For too long, the Makhzen regime has played a duplicitous game — diplomatic courtesies in public, treachery in practice. It has sabotaged every effort at rapprochement, turned cooperation tools into instruments of pressure, corrupted the ideals of the Maghreb Union, and sought at every turn to undermine a resilient Algeria, steadfast in its history, its people, and its principles.
Let it be clear: Algeria will no longer extend a hand to a regime that has consistently bitten it. It will no longer tolerate discord sown within its borders, the funding of its enemies, the falsification of its history, or the tarnishing of its collective memory. The era of unilateral concessions is over. The time for complacency has passed.
Algeria is ready. Ready to embrace this rupture. Ready to bear its cost. Ready to defend every inch of its land, every fragment of its sovereignty, every fibre of its identity. Whether it displeases Rabat or its allies — north or east of the Mediterranean — it will not alter the resolve of our people.
The Makhzen has chosen deceit, arrogance, and subversion. Algeria has chosen truth, honour, and resistance. And in this asymmetrical yet inevitable confrontation, it is the righteousness of the Algerian cause that will prevail — as it always has in history.
For a nation that defeated colonialism will never bow before the duplicity of a monarchy devoid of legitimacy.
For a free people does not negotiate its sovereignty. It defends it. With clarity, with resolve — and, if necessary, with fire.
By Belgacem Merbah
Comments
Post a Comment