Algeria cuts diplomatic ties with neighboring Morocco over the latter’s ‘hostile acts’

Algeria has formally cut diplomatic ties with neighboring Morocco over the latter’s ‘hostile acts’. The decision was revealed on Tuesday by Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra who said the move was due to a series of hostile acts by Morocco.

The announcement comes nearly a week after President Abdelmadjid Tebboune told a meeting of Algeria’s High Security Council that “incessant hostile acts perpetrated by Morocco have meant the need for a revision in relations between the two countries and the intensification of security checks” at the western borders with Morocco, the official APS news agency reported.

“Algeria has decided to break diplomatic relations with Morocco starting today,” Ramtane Lamamra said at a news conference, in which he read a statement from the president. The cutting of ties comes after a decades-long feud.

Morocco’s normalization of ties with Israel is said to be another reason for the straining of ties between the two countries. In mid-July Morocco’s U.N. ambassador had met Israeli foreign minister on his historic visit to Morocco.

On the other hand, the Algerian Foreign Minister had denounced “massive and systematic acts of espionage” by Morocco alleging that the kingdom’s security services used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware against its officials and citizenry, APS reported. Morocco adamantly denies such claims.

The two countries have further accused each other of backing separatist movements in their territories. Algeria is accused of supporting separatists in the disputed region of Western Sahara, a bone of contention for Morocco. Morocco has blamed Algeria for the independence movement in the Berber region of Kabylie extending along the Mediterranean coast east of the capital Rabat. Algiers has accused Rabat of backing the separatists.

Morocco responded to the move and said it was “completely unjustified”. Morocco’s foreign ministry in a statement said Algiers’ move was “completely unjustified” but “expected given the logic of escalation seen in recent weeks.” The statement added that the decision to cut ties was based on “false, even absurd pretexts.”

Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Abdul Gheit called on both to avoid further escalation. He expressed hope the two countries can maintain a “minimal level of ties” to ensure stability for themselves and within the region.