Algeria Appoints Consuls in Morocco Despite Diplomatic Rift, Signaling Potential Thaw

The Algerian president has appointed 28 ambassadors and six consuls, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday in a statement, indicating that these appointments "aim to improve the performance of diplomatic work, in the context of current challenges, and to ensure optimal support for communities".

Two consuls have been appointed in Morocco, reports the newspaper Al Arabi Al Jadid which published a list of the appointed Algerian ambassadors and consuls, revealing that the appointees Hicham Farhati and Belghith Djoudi are Algeria’s new consuls in Oujda and Casablanca. In addition to Morocco, President Tebboune has made changes at the head of Algerian embassies in all the Sahel countries, notably in Mali, Niger, Chad, as well as in Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Zambia and Ghana, in Egypt, Kuwait, Italy and Brazil.

The appointment by Algeria of these two new consuls in Morocco comes in a context of diplomatic crisis born of the Moroccan government’s decision to expropriate land located near the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rabat and some of which are supposed to belong to the Algerian state. After condemning this decision by Morocco and threatening to react, Algeria, through the voice of its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Attaf, acknowledged on Tuesday that Morocco had taken a "decent" decision, adding that the "subject was closed".

Since the rupture of its relations with Morocco on August 24, 2021, Algeria has not appointed an ambassador to Rabat. However, its consulates in Oujda and Casablanca have continued their activities. This justifies the appointment of the two new consuls. The consul in Casablanca is now the official representative of Algeria in Morocco.