The Morocco and Algeria, with more than 1,700 kilometers of common land border and high cultural affinity, have not had very warm relations since independence, and the recent fires in Algeria have become an excuse to increase tensions and eventually end them.
The Morocco gained independence in 1956 and Algeria six years later, but relations between the two countries have been tense ever since. In 1976, their diplomatic relations were severed for 12 years, and it was not until 1988 that they were established.
Morocco accuses Algeria of supporting the Polisario Front, and this has become a major challenge in relations between the two countries.
Polsario’s front demands the independence of the Western Sahara, which Rabat considers part of the Morocco.
Aside from the issue of the Western Sahara and the border dispute between the two countries, recent fires in about 20 Algerian provinces have added a new dimension to the two countries’ former animosities.
In recent days, about 20 Algerian provinces have witnessed unprecedented forest fires.
Recent fires have killed 69 people, including 28 soldiers.
Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtan al-Amira announced the severance of Algerian diplomatic relations with Rabat on Tuesday (yesterday) after announcing that Morocco was involved in the recent fires in the country.
The Algerian prime minister had previously said without naming a country that the fire was the result of a criminal act.
The Algerian presidency on August 28 accused two terrorist groups backed by the Maghreb and the Zionist regime of being involved in recent fires in the country.
According to a statement from the Algerian presidency, police have arrested 22 people on suspicion of involvement in the fires, with Rashad and Al-Mak being the main culprits.
The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday evening expressed regret over the decision of the Algerian authorities to sever diplomatic relations with Rabat, while calling the incident unjustified and, of course, predictable: Rabat will remain an honest partner of the Algerian people and will continue to take reasonable and responsible action to develop healthy and lasting relations.
The Arab Parliament and the Secretary General of the Arab League also called on the two countries to prioritize the maintenance of fraternal relations and restraint, and to prevent the escalation of relations.
In a statement, the Arab Parliament called on Algeria and Rabat to engage in a constructive dialogue within the framework of an Arab brotherhood to curb tensions and discuss contentious issues, RT reported that, Morocco and Algeria are key and influential forces in the Arab world and the region, and they have a great responsibility to strengthen Arab solidarity and to reject differences and divisions.
The Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Abul Gheit, also lamented the tensions between Algeria and Morocco and called on the two countries to exercise restraint and prevent further escalation.
The conflict in the Western Sahara has several domestic and foreign actors, including the United States and France, and conflicts of interest have become one of the main reasons for the protracted conflict in the region. The differences between Algeria and Morocco in this region are rooted in historical events and old differences, which have left the issue of the Western Sahara unresolved.