Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune defended his government’s decision to reinstate the visa requirement for foreigners holding a Moroccan passport, saying the decision was motivated by “political and security considerations”.
“There is a partnership, and not just a simple partnership, between the Zionist entity and Morocco. He is political. What concerns us is the security aspect. We have suspicions that some (Israeli) individuals entered Algeria with Moroccan passports,” Tebboune said in a recent interview.
Algerian leader says they are “not necessarily” spiesalthough he stressed that “entering with passports from an Arab country that is not subject to the visa regime constitutes a real danger.” In this regard, Tebboune also recalled the arrest of “three Moroccan spies” last September.
“Some of them fled Algeria because they had false Moroccan passports. In this context, the reinstatement of the visa requirement is an act of self-defense,” added Tebboune.
Algeria’s recent decision to reinstate visa requirements for Moroccan passport holders constitutes a major escalation in already tense relations between the two North African neighbors.
It is also part of Algeria’s strategy in response to Morocco’s diplomatic progress. The timing of this decision is particularly remarkable, since it comes on the same day that Denmark announced its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara.
Algeria’s visa imposition can also be seen as part of a propaganda campaign aimed at overshadowing growing international support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.as the regime in Algiers has systematically sought to boycott Moroccan diplomatic advances with measures designed to damage Morocco’s international popularity, with the visa requirement being the latest in a series of retaliatory measures.
Nevertheless, Moroccan diplomacy continues to maintain strong international support for its position on the Sahara, which prompts Algeria to intensify its counter-narratives and counter-attacks.
