Morocco’s King Mohammed VI seeks to reconcile with Algeria

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has voiced optimism for a return to normality and the reopening of borders with Algeria, a neighboring country in North Africa with which Morocco severed diplomatic ties almost two years ago.

In a speech to commemorate his accession to the throne in 1999, Mohammed VI, 59, prayed to God for a restoration to normalcy and the reopening of the borders between our two neighboring nations and our brotherly peoples.

Morocco and Algeria have had closed borders for more than two decades. The closure occurred in 1994 as a result of Morocco suspecting Algeria of complicity in a terrorist attack on a hotel in Marrakesh that killed two tourists.

Tensions between the regional rivals have remained high since then, heightened by their conflict over Western Sahara, where the Algiers-backed Polisario Front is seeking independence from Rabat’s administration and has proclaimed the territory a “war zone.”

Algeria cut ties with Morocco in August 2021, accusing Rabat of “hostile acts,” a move Morocco condemned as “completely unjustified.”

This tense situation was further exacerbated by the unresolved border dispute over the status of Western Sahara.

Israel’s recognition earlier this month of “Morocco’s sovereignty ” over Western Sahara added to tensions between Morocco and Algeria, which called Israel’s move a “flagrant violation of international law”.

In a speech commemorating his accession to the throne, the King emphasized that Algeria has nothing to fear from Morocco. His statements reflect not just his continued dedication to resolve the long-standing diplomatic disagreement, but also his hope for a return to the kinship and collaboration that existed between the two countries in the past.