The Moroccan government announced that it rejected the aid offer from Algeria, which was preparing to send three planes, with rescuers and equipment on board for the victims.
The emergency aid system was ready to reach Morocco, but the three Algerian army planes would not take off for Marrakech. The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this Tuesday, September 12 that the Moroccan authorities refused aid from Algeria, which offered to participate in relief operations after the violent earthquake which, according to the very latest assessment of the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, 2,901 dead.
In a press release, the ministry indicates that the Kingdom of Morocco has informed it “that it does not need the humanitarian aid offered by Algeria”. A statement from the Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, has contributed to sowing trouble since Monday, with him explaining – citing Algeria – that all aid offered by other countries was “welcome”.
Following this speech, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed its Moroccan counterpart – via the Consulate General of Algeria in Casablanca and the Consulate General of Morocco in Algeria – that an aid system adapted to interventions within the framework of natural disasters was put in place by the Algerian authorities, ready to come to the aid of their neighbor.
The press release adds that the Consul General of Algeria in Casablanca remained in contact with the crisis unit at the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in order to formalize the Algerian aid proposal, while all preparations were already completed at the airport. soldier of Boufarik. The Algerian authorities insisted during the day and evening of Monday, September 11 to obtain the green light to take off the three large aircraft, reports the same source.
The director general of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs finally informed the consul general of Algeria that Rabat refused Algerian humanitarian aid, adds the press release, which specifies that Algeria takes note of Morocco’s official response and will not fail to draw the necessary conclusions.
Three jumbo jets ready to take off
On the evening of Monday, September 11, images were broadcast by Algerian channels from the Boufarik military airport, where three large army aircraft were on the tarmac awaiting the green light from Rabat. Images of Algerian firefighters wearing the national emblem, as well as members of the Algerian Red Crescent ready to fly to Morocco were also broadcast.
One plane was to be used to transport teams of rescuers and doctors, while the other two would transport material aid (tents, blankets, food, and medical products) for victims of the earthquake.
Pending the green light from Rabat, this system was kept in place at Boufarik airport, before it began to be gradually lifted following this refusal. Algeria’s emergency aid proposal, beyond its humanitarian nature, offered the opportunity to bring down tensions between the two neighboring countries, whose diplomatic relations have been severed since August 2021. This rejection of Algerian aid and assistance further removes any hope of détente between the two capitals.
