Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Algeria: Tensions with Morocco

I first started to follow what was going on in Algeria back in April 2019 when I learned about protests against then President Adbelaziz Bouteflika. Shortly thereafter the military told him to leave office. 

 On Sep 17, Friday, he died. Al Jazeera (Sep 18) has this:

Former Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika died on Friday at age 84 after enduring years of ill health.

. . . His death at the age of 84 marks the end of an era for Algeria. After two decades in power, he resigned in April 2019 after street demonstrations erupted against his plan to seek a fifth term.


On other news around Algeria, Associated Press via the Los Angeles Times (Aug 24) has this:

Algeria formally broke off diplomatic relations with neighboring Morocco on Tuesday, with the foreign minister citing a series of alleged hostile acts.

He [Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra] also denounced “massive and systematic acts of espionage” by Morocco, a reference to allegations that the kingdom’s security services used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware against its officials and citizenry, APS said. Morocco adamantly denies such claims.

. . . Morocco’s U.N. ambassador allegedly said that the people of Algeria’s Berber region of Kabyle should have the right to determine their status. He also cited Algeria’s claims that Morocco backs a separatist group in Kabyle, known as MAK, which Algiers has placed on a terrorism list.

. . . The issue of Kabyle recalls Algeria’s support for a bid by the Polisario Front, a pro-independence movement based in southern Algeria, for self-determination in the disputed Western Sahara that was annexed by Morocco in 1975.

Okay, Morocco can deny using Pegasus spyware, but I'll say I believe Algeria on that one.

It also would seem that both sides are interfering in what the other country considers it's own internal affairs.

       

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