Moroccan Social Media Users Call for Boycott of Algerian Artists Amid Rising Tensions

Algerian singers are unwelcome in Morocco. On the web, they are the target of a new boycott campaign launched by Moroccan Internet users. They are calling on organizers of national events to cancel the shows of Algerian artists and to give priority to local artists, some of whom have been marginalized for many years, while considerable sums are spent on foreign artists.

They also asked the officials of the artistic sector to break off relations with all Algerian artists and not to welcome them in Morocco, like the organizers of the Midelt Festival, who decided to cancel the concert of the Algerian Cheb Bilal and replace him with the Moroccan popular music artist Said Senhaji. Insisting that Algeria boycotts Moroccan artists and closes its borders to them, they believe it is necessary to subject Algerian singers to the same treatment.

In a statement to Hespress, the Moroccan producer and artistic director Moufid Sbai said that he has always called for reducing the number of Algerian artists invited to perform in Morocco repeatedly, or even to boycott them totally, because they are warmly welcomed and participate in Moroccan programs to promote their musical works, while the situation is different in Algeria. Although Morocco is a country known for its generosity and hospitality towards all nationalities, it is now necessary to adopt the principle of reciprocity in relations with Algerian artists, he added.

A boycott campaign previously launched in Morocco resulted in the cancellation of concerts by several Algerian singers. The singer Amine Babylone no longer performed at the 18th edition of the "Timitar" Festival in Agadir. The Algerian singer Warda Charlomanti also suffered the same fate.