Morocco’s Ambassador Declines Meeting with Algerian Foreign Minister Amid Diplomatic Crisis

Following Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with Morocco, Ramtane Lamamra summoned the Kingdom’s ambassador to Algiers, Mohamed Ait Ouali, who did not respond favorably to his request, reports Le360. "The Moroccan ambassador’s refusal to receive is understandable. The Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs should have summoned the ambassador of the kingdom before the press conference where he announced the severance of diplomatic relations between Rabat and Algiers. Not after the press conference. This is not done in diplomacy," comments a former diplomat.

On Tuesday, the Algerian Foreign Minister, Ramtane Lamamra, announced that Algeria had decided to sever its diplomatic relations with Morocco. Algiers accuses Rabat in particular of supporting Omar Hilale, Morocco’s permanent representative to the United Nations, to the "valiant Kabyle people", the statements of the Israeli Foreign Minister during his historic visit to Rabat, past incidents, such as the desecration of the Algerian flag at the Casablanca consulate in 2013. For its part, Rabat says it has "taken note" of this "unilateral decision".