African Nations Open Consulates in Western Sahara, Heightening Morocco-Algeria Tensions

The dissensions between Morocco and Algeria over the Sahara have surfaced again. In the background, a series of consulates that have opened their doors in the southern provinces. On February 28, two new countries, Burundi and Djibouti, also proceeded to inaugurate consulates, respectively in Laâyoune and Dakhla, now bringing to nine the number of African countries with a consular representation in the southern provinces.

Faced with the opening of these new consulates, Algeria did not take long to react. After the opening of the Comoros consulate in Laâyoune on December 18, the first in the series, Algeria had strongly expressed its surprise at the Cherifian strategy, describing these decisions as "measures of exceptional gravity", notes TelQuel. Since then, the media points out, "the tension has risen crescendo". Thus, the two countries multiply the "vindictive communiqués interposed relayed by their respective official agencies, MAP and APS".

Algeria went so far as to recall its ambassador to Côte d’Ivoire on February 20 for "consultation". As the same source points out, Abidjan had inaugurated a general consulate on January 29, described by its Foreign Minister, Ally Coulibaly, as going "in the direction of history" and in "the continuity of the constant Ivorian position" on the "Moroccanness of the Sahara". However, for the Algerian authorities, these are "sibylline and insidious declarations" and an "attack on the rules and principles that should govern African relations".

During a press conference on February 29, Sabri Boukadoum affirmed that there are clear UN resolutions and international law concerning the issue of Western Sahara, a founding member of the African Union (AU). The Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs therefore describes the Moroccan and African countries’ openings of consular representations as "words that cannot erase the truth". All these attacks from the Algerian side have elicited a reaction from Nasser Bourita. According to the Moroccan Foreign Minister, who spoke at a press conference following the opening of the Burundian consulate, "He who is preparing to write communiqués and recall his ambassador for consultation must continue on this path".

For Nasser Bourita, through its positions, Algeria "provides proof that it is the main party to the Sahara conflict". Moreover, according to him, Algiers would have transmitted "verbal instructions" to certain countries on the continent not to attend the next edition of the Crans Montana Forum, which will be held in Dakhla from March 18 to 21. However, for Jean-Paul Carteron, the founding president of this influential forum, the "Dakhla stage" aims to "contribute to the international recognition of the territorial integrity of the kingdom" and position the city on the map of major international events, as a "laboratory for reflection on Africa and South-South cooperation". Enough to suffocate Algeria.