In his traditional speech delivered on the occasion of the feast of the throne, Saturday, July 29, the King of Morocco mentioned Algeria, to which he once again extended his hand for “a return to normal”.
Honeyed remarks reminiscent of those made last year and two years ago on the same occasion, but never followed by facts likely to ease the tension between the two neighbors.
On the contrary, Mohamed VI’s speech in July 2021 was preceded and followed by a series of hostile acts by the kingdom towards Algeria which led the latter to sever diplomatic relations with Morocco less than a year. months later.
In his 2022 speech, he reiterated the same call and he returned to the charge this year.
And while these relations have been downright broken for two years, the king has described them as ” stable” and expressed his aspiration to make them “better”.
Mohamed VI indicated that his action in the service of the Moroccan people also lies, in addition to the management of internal issues, in his ” determination to establish solid relations with brotherly and friendly States, and more particularly with neighboring countries” .
“We reassure our brothers in Algeria, their leadership and their people that they will never have to fear malice from Morocco ,” said King Mohamed VI, adding that he confirms with regard to the Algerians. the value he attaches ” to the bonds of affection and friendship, to the exchanges and interactions” between the two peoples.
Mohamed VI closed the passage devoted to Algeria by expressing his wishes for a ” return to normal” , while reiterating his call for the reopening of the borders between the two countries. These have been closed since 1994.
In 2021, he had spoken at length about Algeria, indicating in particular that “ what affects Morocco affects Algeria just as much; because the two countries are indissolubly united” and expressing the wish to turn the page on “ media and diplomatic tensions” .
Morocco – Algeria Mohamed VI continues his double game
If Algeria had ignored his appeal, it is not without reason. During the same period, Moroccan diplomacy and services had multiplied provocations against Algeria.
Morocco’s representative to the UN, Omar Hilale, called for the partition of Algerian territory, the Israeli foreign minister at the time, Yair Lapid, threatened Algeria from Moroccan territory.
This, at a time when the world press revealed the scandal of spying on foreign personalities by Moroccan services via the Israeli software Pegasus.
The most targeted country was Algeria. Three weeks after the king’s “sweet” speech, on August 21, 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco. They are still not restored.
In 2022, still on the occasion of the feast of the throne, Mohamed VI adopted the same strategy of seeking to claim the best role and throw the ball into the Algerian camp.
He addressed himself directly to “the Algerian presidency”, expressing his aspiration to work with it “so that Morocco and Algeria can work, hand in hand, to establish normal relations”.
On the ground, nothing came to confirm the disposition of the king to open a new page with Algeria.
The attacks of the Moroccan press and diplomacy against Algeria have never ceased and, in recent months, the kingdom has sunk into its rapprochement, particularly military, with Israel.
Two weeks ago, on July 17, Israel appointed a military attaché to Rabat for the first time and announced on the same day its recognition of Moroccan “sovereignty” over the occupied Western Sahara.
The position of Algerian diplomacy in recent years is constant: there will be no return to normal as long as the factors that are at the origin of the crisis persist.
