Moroccan party urges Morocco–Algeria parliamentary friendship

On November 3rd, Abdellah Bouanou of the Justice and Development Party (PJD) proposed a Morocco-Algeria parliamentary friendship group during a joint Moroccan parliamentary session of both chambers discussing the Western Sahara issue, reported Yabilaadi.

Abdellah Bouanou, president of the parliamentary group of PJD, also warned of the growing hate speech directed at people in Algeria. His proposed solution urges brotherhood and open dialogue between the people of Morocco and Algeria.

Morocco and Algeria have long held opposing positions on the issue of Western Sahara. This includes in 2021, when Algeria severed all diplomatic ties with Morocco regarding the disputed territory in Western Sahara, stating that relations had reached a point of no return. Algeria has repeatedly rejected Morocco’s plan and called for a referendum in the region of the Sahrawi people.

Morocco-Algeria relations have been strained and have caused tension in the Maghreb region, with no formal channels of communication existing between the two countries. Morocco’s proposal for a parliamentary friendship group could be viewed as an attempt to increase diplomatic initiatives, the likes of which had also been previously suggested by the European Union to foster better relations between the two countries. 

Recently, Algeria has also reintroduced visa requirements for Moroccan passport holders, making travel more restricted between the two countries. Algeria holds the Moroccan regime responsible for the deteriorating bilateral relations, labelling them “hostile and aggressive” towards Algeria.

Meanwhile, Morocco has declared October 31st a national holiday to commemorate the UN’s expression of confidence in Morocco’s proposed plan for Western Sahara.

 Morocco, who has won a lot of support from the West in moving forward with this plan, has also renewed its diplomacy with Russia; who approves Morocco’s autonomy over the Western Sahara.

Yabilaadi, Maghrebi.org