Moroccan Transport Leader Blames Algeria, Polisario for Deadly Attack on Truckers in Mali

"I accuse Algeria and its puppet the Polisario of being responsible for this cowardly and abominable terrorist attack targeting Moroccan truck drivers," denounced Abdelilah Hifdi in an interview with Le360. According to him, the terrorist attack, which comes less than a year after the events of Guerguerat, would be directly linked to Algeria’s decision to sever its diplomatic relations with Morocco.

On Saturday, two Moroccan truckers were killed in Mali, a third is injured and a fourth is unharmed. According to the president of the National Federation of Transport (FNT), the perpetrators of the attack are trying to intimidate Moroccan carriers and push them to give up serving sub-Saharan Africa, at a time when the African Continental Free Trade Area is being implemented.

These same sponsors want to "break the momentum of intra-African trade, reflected in the daily reality of a strong presence of Moroccan carriers," many of whom have abandoned the European market (due to the health crisis) to focus more on the markets of the continent, he added, specifying that no Algerian TIR truck is circulating on the roads in sub-Saharan Africa.

Abdelilah Hifdi also believes that the attack will have "an impact on trade between Morocco and West Africa". He therefore calls on the government to strengthen "its support for Mali", by sending "a contingent to help this friendly country regain stability and security, particularly on the road axes".