Algeria closes airspace to all military and civilian aircraft from Morocco. The Algerian authorities are announcing this measure because of the neighboring country’s “ongoing provocations and hostile practices”. Last month, Algeria already severed diplomatic ties with Morocco.
The Moroccan government in Rabat has not yet responded formally. A source at Royal Air Maroc, Morocco’s flag carrier, has said the airspace closure will not have major consequences. About fifteen flights a week should now be diverted across the Mediterranean.
points of contention
The relationship between the North African countries has been bad for decades. This has to do with Western Sahara, among other things. The area was annexed by Morocco in the 1970s and Rabat considers it Moroccan. The independence movement Polisario Front is also active in Western Sahara, which fights for independence. The movement receives support from Algiers and its leader, Brahim Ghali, resides in Algeria.
Conversely, Algeria accuses Morocco of supporting the separatist movement MAK, which wants autonomy in the region of Kabylia (in northern Algeria). Algeria has classified the movement as a terrorist organization. In July, Algeria withdrew its ambassador to Morocco because of the Moroccan UN ambassador’s support to the MAK.
The borders between the countries have been closed since 1994, but diplomatic ties have been established since the late 1980s.
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