Algerian Foreign Minister: Moroccan Counterpart Ignores Calls Amid Diplomatic Tension

The warming of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria is not for tomorrow. The head of Algerian diplomacy laments the fact that his Moroccan counterpart is ignoring his calls. "I was instructed (by President Tebboune) to call my Moroccan counterpart, Nasser Bourita, and this is the first time I’ve revealed it, to convey my condolences and tell him that we were ready to help. He did not answer my call. To this day, I have received no response to my calls," reveals Ahmed Attaf in an interview with the Qatari channel Aljazeera. He would certainly have made these calls in the aftermath of the powerful and devastating earthquake that shook Morocco on September 8, killing nearly 3,000 people, for which the kingdom only accepted the aid of four countries, namely Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and the United Kingdom.

During the interview, Ahmed Attaf compared Algerian diplomacy in Africa to that of Morocco. "Over the past fifteen years, there was not a single person who could speak on behalf of Algeria. Algeria’s absence was due to the lack of real power in Algeria. Let’s see how many trips and visits King Mohammed VI had made to African countries, from Nigeria to Madagascar, including Mauritius. He has criss-crossed Africa and has been able to gather the support of several African countries," he noted.

The recognition by Spain of the Moroccanness of the Sahara has also been invited into this interview of more than 80 minutes granted to journalist Khadija Benguenna. "Spain’s recognition of the autonomy plan is a recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara. This is unacceptable," fumed the head of Algerian diplomacy. The handover by Madrid of the management of the airspace of the Sahara to Rabat is also not to his liking. "The International Civil Aviation Organization has prohibited Spain from the retrocession of the airspace of the southern regions to Morocco," supported Ahmed Attaf.