Moroccan Farmers Protest Algerian Ban on Border Land Access Near Figuig

Moroccan farmers demonstrated last week to protest the Algerian decision to ban access to the locality of El Arja, located 6 kilometers from Figuig, as of March 18. The decision is temporary and circumstantial, the Algerian authorities said.

"We live off agriculture and we can’t leave our land. Our history is linked to our origins. It’s not a matter of investment. People have invested 2,000,000 DH here and haven’t even recouped 20,000 DH. If you don’t have land here, you’ll feel like a foreigner in Figuig," explains a farmer.

For his part, the governor of the Figuig region has exchanged with the affected farmers in order to jointly seek viable solutions. As for the farmers of El Arja, they intend to ask the Algerian government for compensation for the damages suffered.

For nearly a month, the Algerian authorities have given a one-month notice to these Moroccan farmers to leave their homes and plantations. For several human rights organizations, the farmers are the collateral victims of a border conflict that has been going on for years.