Algeria declares Moroccan deputy consul “persona non grata”

Algeria has declared the Moroccan Deputy Consul in Oran, Mohamed Sefiani, “persona non grata,” giving him 48 hours to leave the country, as reported by the Middle East Monitor on March 28th.

The announcement came through the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which stated that Khalid Chihani, the acting head of the Moroccan Consulate General in Algeria, was summoned to meet with the Director-General of Protocol, Mokhtar Amine Khelif.

The ministry’s statement clarified that Chihani was informed that Sefiani’s actions had been deemed incompatible with his consular duties and violated both Algerian and international law, particularly the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

However, authorities in Algeria did not provide specific details regarding the actions that led to Sefiani’s expulsion and branding of “persona non grata”.

In response to Algeria’s decision, Morocco has yet to issue an official comment.

This move by Algeria is another sign of the continued diplomatic tensions between the two nations, which have been on the rise for the past several years.

In August 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco, citing what it termed as hostile actions by Morocco that threatened Algeria’s stability.

Central to the ongoing discord between the two countries is the issue of Western Sahara, a territory claimed by both Morocco and the Polisario Front.

While Morocco advocates for broad autonomy under its sovereignty, the Polisario Front calls for a self-determination referendum, a position strongly supported by Algeria, which also hosts refugees from the region.

This diplomatic standoff has resulted in increasing tensions between the two countries, with no resolution in sight.

Middle East Monitor