Moroccan-Algerian Border Tensions Disrupt Ancient Oasis Farming in Figuig

"This land, we cultivate it from father to son, for generations," says Abdelmajid Boudi proudly, showing the lush gardens of the Figuig oasis, vestiges of the past grandeur of this former caravan crossroads in full decline, on the border of Morocco and Algeria. At 62, he has been living for years on the cultivation of his dates on two plots located in the heart of the "ksar" of Zenaga, one of the neighborhoods of the oasis, on the edge of the Atlas mountains and the Saharan desert. In the fields, the fruit harvest is done by hand. The farmers climb to the top of the trees to work standing up, balanced on the palm leaves of the date palms, reports Challenges.

In addition to date cultivation, Abdelmajib Boudi also performs the crucial function of water manager. He is responsible for the distribution of water among the subscribers, through a complex irrigation network inherited from the past. He no longer sees himself working anywhere else than on his ancestral lands. It’s the same refrain with Rajae Boudi, who is a teacher elsewhere but always comes back to recharge. "The people here are tied to their land, our veins are irrigated by our roots," she assures.

In recent years, many inhabitants have deserted the oasis. According to studies, "nearly a third of the gardens are fallow, nearly half of its 2,000 ancient houses are dilapidated or in ruins". But that doesn’t mean they forget to contribute to the development of the oasis. According to Mustapha Lali, a historian elected to the Figuig municipality from 1992 to 2016, they frequently invest in new date palm plantations around the historic perimeter.

In Zenaga, the community is very close-knit and lives in a natural state. To go out, the women wrap themselves in white cotton haïks. In the season of great cold, the men wear hand-woven wool burnous. The spoken language is Amazigh. "We have kept our language, we have resisted everything," emphasizes Mohamed Djilali, the president of a local association. Unfortunately, the diplomatic differences between Morocco and Algeria are leading to the expulsion of Moroccan farmers from their "ancestral lands" located on the Algerian side, explains Challenges.

This involves 1,500 hectares of crops served by the Moroccan electricity network and irrigated by pumping the water table, to be added to the previous expropriations recorded by Morocco since 1955 affecting 130,000 palm trees on 2,000 hectares of land spread over 23 border sectors. "The palm trees alone sustain the families, this new loss will worsen the economic situation," worries, for his part, Mustapha Lali.