Algeria Algeria, officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered to Algeria–Tunisia border, the northeast by Tunisia; to Algeria–Libya border, the east by Libya; to Alger ...

is represented in

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

by its embassy in

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ) is the Capital (political), capital city of Morocco and the List of cities in Morocco, country's seventh-largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million. ...

; Algeria also has

consulate A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth countries, a ...

s in

Casablanca Casablanca (, ) is the largest city in Morocco and the country's economic and business centre. Located on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast of the Chaouia (Morocco), Chaouia plain in the central-western part of Morocco, the city has a populatio ...

and

Oujda Oujda (, ) is a major city in northeast Morocco near the Algeria–Morocco border, border with Algeria. Oujda is the capital city of the Oriental (Morocco), Oriental region of northeastern Morocco and has a population of 506,224 people (2024 censu ...

. Morocco is represented in Algeria by an embassy in

Algiers Algiers is the capital city of Algeria as well as the capital of the Algiers Province; it extends over many Communes of Algeria, communes without having its own separate governing body. With 2,988,145 residents in 2008Census 14 April 2008: Offi ...

; it also has consulates in Algiers,

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

and

Sidi Bel Abbès Sidi Bel Abbès (), also called Bel Abbès, is the capital''Sidi Bel Abbes'', lexicorient.com (Encyclopaedia of the Orient), internet article. of the Sidi Bel Abbès wilaya, Algeria. It is named after Sidi bel Abbass, a Muslim marabout or noble ...

. Relations between the two

North African North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

states have been marred by several crises since their independence, particularly the 1963

Sand War The Sand War () was a border conflict between Algeria and Morocco fought from September 25 to October 30, 1963, although a formal peace treaty was not signed until February 20, 1964. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to ...

, the

Western Sahara War The Western Sahara War (, , ) was an armed conflict between the Sahrawi indigenous Polisario Front and Morocco from 1975 to 1991 (and Mauritania from 1975 to 1979), being the most significant phase of the Western Sahara conflict. The confl ...

of 1975–1991, the closing of the

Algeria–Morocco border The Algeria–Morocco border is 1,427 km (887 mi) in length and runs from Mediterranean Sea in the north, to the tripoint with Western Sahara in the south. The border has been officially closed to all travel since 1994, although clandes ...

in 1994, an ongoing disagreement over the

political status of Western Sahara Western Sahara, formerly the colony of Spanish Sahara, is a disputed territory claimed by both the Kingdom of Morocco and the Popular Front for the Liberation of the Saguia el Hamra and Rio de Oro (Polisario Front), which is an independence m ...

and the signing of the

Israel–Morocco normalization agreement The Israel–Morocco normalization agreement is an agreement announced by the United States government on December 10, 2020, in which Israel and Morocco agreed to begin normalizing relations. On December 22, 2020, a joint declaration was sign ...

(as part of the

Abraham Accords The Abraham Accords are bilateral agreements on Arab–Israeli normalization signed between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain on September 15, 2020. Mediated by the United States, the announcement of August ...

) in 2020. On 24 August 2021, Algeria severed ties with Morocco, accusing Morocco of supporting the separatist movement for the self-determination of Kabylia, allegedly in retaliation for Algeria's historical support of the

Sahrawi Republic Sahrawi or Saharawi (also transliterated into Spanish as or French as ), is an Arabic term meaning 'from the Sahara', or more specifically the Western Sahara. It can also mean 'from the desert' in general. Sahrawi may also refer to: People *the ...

independence in the

Western Sahara Western Sahara is a territorial dispute, disputed territory in Maghreb, North-western Africa. It has a surface area of . Approximately 30% of the territory () is controlled by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR); the remaining 70% is ...

. In March 2023, Algerian President

Abdelmadjid Tebboune Abdelmadjid Tebboune (; born 17 November 1945) is an Algerian politician currently serving as the president of Algeria since December 2019 and as minister of defence. Tebboune took over the power from former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and f ...

stated that the relations between two countries had reached a "point of no return due to Morocco's continued provocation of Algeria".

Historical relations

Morocco was involved in the

French conquest of Algeria The French conquest of Algeria (; ) took place between 1830 and 1903. In 1827, an argument between Hussein Dey, the ruler of the Regency of Algiers, and the French consul (representative), consul escalated into a blockade, following which the Jul ...

that started in 1830. Initially Morocco supported the Algerian resistance groups against

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

but ceased in 1844 following the French bombardment of Tanger and the

Battle of Isly The Battle of Isly () was fought on August 14, 1844, between France and Morocco, near the . French forces under Marshal Thomas Robert Bugeaud routed a much larger, but poorly organized, Moroccan force, mainly fighters from the tribes of , but a ...

. France and Morocco then agreed on a

border Borders are generally defined as geography, geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by polity, political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other administrative divisio ...

till the

Atlas Mountains The Atlas Mountains are a mountain range in the Maghreb in North Africa. They separate the Sahara Desert from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean; the name "Atlantic" is derived from the mountain range, which stretches around through M ...

which remained when Morocco was turned into a

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

protectorate, leaving the border south of it unknown. In 1912, the border between the French Protectorate of Morocco and

French Algeria French Algeria ( until 1839, then afterwards; unofficially ; ), also known as Colonial Algeria, was the period of History of Algeria, Algerian history when the country was a colony and later an integral part of France. French rule lasted until ...

was extended further south with the Varnier Line.

Post-colonization and the Sand War

After Morocco had gained independence from France in 1956, King Mohammed V provided arms, money, and medicines to Algerian FLN forces waging a war of independence against French rule; Morocco also served as a rear base for Algerian insurgents to set up training camps for newer recruits. During this period, King Mohammed also refused to negotiate with

over the precise outline of Morocco's border with Algeria in the

Sahara Desert The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the list of deserts by area, third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Ar ...

that had not yet been demarcated earlier in 1844 or with the Varnier Line in 1912. This was further complicated by the popularity of reinstating the border of

Greater Morocco Greater Morocco is a label historically used by some Moroccan nationalist political leaders protesting against Spanish, French and Portuguese rule, to refer to wider territories historically associated with the Moroccan sultan. Current usage ...

among Moroccan politicians among whom Allal El Fassi, then president of the

Istiqlal Party The Istiqlal Party (; ; ) is a political party in Morocco. It is a conservative and monarchist party and a member of the Centrist Democrat International and International Democracy Union. Istiqlal headed a coalition government under Abbas El Fa ...

. These borders encompass the entirety of

Mauritania Mauritania, officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a sovereign country in Maghreb, Northwest Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Western Sahara to Mauritania–Western Sahara border, the north and northwest, ...

, parts of

Mali Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the List of African countries by area, eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of over . The country is bordered to the north by Algeria, to the east b ...

and

. On 23 January 1961 King

Hassan II of Morocco Hassan II (; 9 July 1929 – 23 July 1999) was King of Morocco from 1961 until his death in 1999. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he was the eldest son of King Mohammed V of Morocco, Mohammed V, and his second wife Princess Lalla Abla ...

reported that the Moroccan-Algerian commission at the ministerial level finalized a structure for a United Arab Maghreb. After

Algerian independence An independence referendum was held in French Algeria on 1 July 1962. It followed French approval of the Évian Accords in an April referendum. Voters were asked whether Algeria should become an independent state, co-operating with France; 99.7 ...

, the border disputes remained leading to skirmishes along the Algerian-Moroccan border and the eventual outbreak of the

in 1963. The dispute revolved around Morocco claiming the region surrounding Tidnouf. After two months of fighting, Algeria and Morocco agreed to a ceasefire agreed upon on 29 and 30 October 1963 in

Bamako Bamako is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Mali, with a 2022 population of 4,227,569. It is located on the Niger River, near the rapids that divide the upper and middle Niger valleys in the southwestern part of the country. Bamak ...

. The two main points entails that the pre-war border would remain and that the border area would be

demilitarized A demilitarized zone (DMZ or DZ) is an area in which treaties or agreements between states, military powers or contending groups forbid military installations, activities, or personnel. A DZ often lies along an established frontier or boundary ...

guaranteed by

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

n and Malian supervisors. However, Morocco kept pushing for its demand to hold a referendum in the villages of Hassi-Beida and Tindjoub whether these would want to join Morocco or remain in Algeria. The day of the official ceasefire to the Sand War on 1 November, Algerian President Ben Bella demanded the evacuation of Moroccan armed forces from Hassi-Beida and Tindjoub. The Moroccan soldiers refused which was met by a bombardment of

Figuig Figuig or Figig is an oasis town in eastern Morocco near the Atlas Mountains, on the border with Algeria. The town is built around an oasis of date palms, surrounded by rugged, mountainous wilderness. Modernization has somewhat raised the stan ...

in Morocco by Algeria. After a second ceasefire on 20 February 1964, Moroccan troops retreated Hassi-Beida and Tindjoub as did the Algerian forces from Figuig.

Treaty of Ifrane

The Treaty of Ifrane, signed in January 1969 between Algerian President

Houari Boumédiène Houari Boumédiène (; born Mohammed ben Brahim Boukharouba; 23 August 1932 – 27 December 1978) was an Algerian military officer and politician who was the list of heads of state of Algeria, second head of state of independent Algeria from 196 ...

and King

, marked a significant diplomatic effort to address territorial and border disputes following the 1963

. Negotiated in the Moroccan city of

Ifrane Ifrane () is a city in the Middle Atlas region of northern Morocco (population 14,659 as of November 2014). The capital of Ifrane Province in the region of Fès-Meknès, Ifrane is located at an elevation of . "Climatological Information for ...

, the treaty sought to establish a framework for bilateral cooperation, including: * Border delineation and management of shared resources * Economic and cultural exchanges, with aspirations for regional stability * Conflict resolution mechanisms, endorsed by international observers While the treaty symbolised a commitment to peaceful diplomacy, its long-term effectiveness was limited by unresolved territorial claims, particularly in the

Tindouf Tindouf () is the main town, and a Communes of Algeria, commune in Tindouf Province, Algeria, close to the Algeria–Mauritania border, Mauritanian, Algeria–Western Sahara border, Western Saharan and Algeria–Morocco border, Moroccan borders. Th ...

and

Béchar Béchar () is the capital city of Béchar Province, Algeria. It is also a commune, coextensive with Béchar District, of Béchar Province. In 2008 the city had a population of 165,627, up from 134,954 in 1998, with an annual growth rate of 2.1% ...

regions. Scholars note that it reflected

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

-era dynamics, with Algeria aligning with

socialist bloc The Eastern Bloc, also known as the Communist Bloc (Combloc), the Socialist Bloc, the Workers Bloc, and the Soviet Bloc, was an unofficial coalition of communist states of Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America that were a ...

policies and Morocco maintaining Western-backed monarchist governance. Despite periodic tensions, the treaty remains a reference point in Algeria-Morocco relations, though subsequent disputes have overshadowed its initial goals.

Western Sahara

The territory of the former

colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their ''metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often orga ...

territory has caused a deep-seated antagonism and general mistrust between Algeria and Morocco that has permeated all aspects of Moroccan-Algerian relations. After

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

announced its intention to abandon the territory in 1975, relations between Morocco and Algeria, both of which had previously presented a united front, disintegrated. Algeria, although not asserting any territorial claims of its own, was averse to the absorption of the territory by any of its neighbors and supported the

Polisario Front The Popular Front for the Liberation of Saguia el-Hamra and Río de Oro (Spanish language, Spanish: ; ), better known by its acronym Polisario Front, is a Sahrawi nationalism, Sahrawi nationalist liberation movement seeking to end the occupatio ...

's wish to create an independent nation in the territory. Before the Spanish evacuation, the Spanish government had agreed to divide the territory, transferring the majority of the land to Morocco and the remainder to

. This agreement violated a

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

(UN) resolution that declared all historical claims by Mauritania or Morocco to be insufficient to justify territorial absorption and drew heavy criticism from Algeria.Entelis, John P. with Lisa Arone. "The Maghrib"
''Algeria: a country study''
.

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

Federal Research Division The Federal Research Division (FRD) is the research and analysis unit of the United States Library of Congress. The Federal Research Division provides directed research and analysis on domestic and international subjects to agencies of the Unite ...

(December 1993). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

.''

Guerrilla Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, Partisan (military), partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include Children in the military, recruite ...

movements inside the Saharan territory, particularly the

(Frente Popular para la Liberación de Saguia el Hamra y Río de Oro), having fought for Saharan independence since 1973, immediately proclaimed the

Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), also known as the Sahrawi Republic and Western Sahara, is a partially recognized state in the western Maghreb, which claims the non-self-governing territory of Western Sahara, but controls only ...

(SADR). Algeria recognized this new self-proclaimed state in 1976, and has since pursued a determined diplomatic effort for international recognition of the territory; it has also supplied food, materials, and training to the guerrillas. In 1979, after many years of extensive and fierce guerrilla warfare, Mauritania abandoned its territorial claims and withdrew. Morocco quickly claimed the territory relinquished by Mauritania. Once the SADR gained diplomatic recognition from the

Organization of African Unity The Organisation of African Unity (OAU; , OUA) was an African intergovernmental organization established on 25 May 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 33 signatory governments. Some of the key aims of the OAU were to encourage political and ec ...

(OAU) and many other independent states, Morocco came under international pressure. As a result, the Moroccan government finally proposed a national

referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...

to determine the Saharan territory's sovereignty in 1981. The referendum was to be overseen by the OAU, but the proposal was quickly retracted by the King of Morocco when the OAU could not reach agreement over referendum procedures. In 1987 the Moroccan government again agreed to recognize the Polisario and to meet to "discuss their grievances." Algeria stipulated a solitary precondition for restoration of diplomatic relations—recognition of the Polisario and talks toward a definitive solution to the Western Saharan quagmire. Without a firm commitment from the King of Morocco, Algeria conceded and resumed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 1988.

Border

In 1994, Morocco accused the Algerian Secret Service of being behind the

Marrakech Marrakesh or Marrakech (; , ) is the fourth-largest city in Morocco. It is one of the four imperial cities of Morocco and is the capital of the Marrakesh–Safi Regions of Morocco, region. The city lies west of the foothills of the Atlas Mounta ...

attack of 1994, where two Spaniards were killed, and imposed visa requirement on Algerians and nationals of Algerian origin. The immediate response by the Algerian government was the closure of the border with Morocco. The borders are still closed, costing both countries an estimated 2% of their annual growth rate. In 1999, the newly elected Algerian president

Abdelaziz Bouteflika Abdelaziz Bouteflika (; ; 2 March 1937 – 17 September 2021) was an Algerian politician and diplomat who served as the seventh president of Algeria from 1999 to his resignation in 2019. Before his stint as an Algerian politician, Bouteflika s ...

attended

Hassan II Hassan, Hasan, Hassane, Haasana, Hassaan, Asan, Hassun, Hasun, Hassen, Hasson or Hasani may refer to: People *Hassan (given name), Arabic given name and a list of people with that given name *Hassan (surname), Arabic, Jewish, Irish, and Scotti ...

of Morocco's funeral, and declared three days of official mourning in Algeria. That same year, Bouteflika accused Morocco of hosting

GIA ''Gia'' is a 1998 American biographical drama television film about the life and times of one of the first supermodels, Gia Carangi. The film stars Angelina Jolie as Gia and Faye Dunaway as Wilhelmina Cooper, with Mercedes Ruehl and Elizab ...

bases, from which some attacks on Algerians were planned and directed. A few days later, he again accused Morocco of exporting drugs into Algeria. In July 2004, King Mohammed VI abolished visa requirements for Algerians entering Morocco; in April 2006, President Bouteflika reciprocated the gesture. In 2012 Algerian prime minister

Ahmed Ouyahia Ahmed Ouyahia (; 2 July 1952) is an Algerian politician who was Prime Minister of Algeria, prime minister of Algeria four times (1995–98, 2004–2006, 2008–2012, 2017–2019). A career diplomat, he also served as Minister of Justice, and he w ...

said border reopening was not a priority for his government. Other official declarations imply that this issue is not to be solved soon. By 2014, an increased number of voices from civil society and intellectuals had asked their respective countries to take steps to reconciliation.

2020s relations

In 2021, the Algerian authorities have accused Morocco of having killed, in a "barbaric bombardment", three truck drivers who were covering the route between the Mauritanian capital,

Nouakchott Nouakchott ( ) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. Located in the southwestern part of the country, it is one of the largest cities in the Sahara. The city also serves as the administrative and economic center of Mauritania. Once a ...

, and the Algerian city of

Ouargla Ouargla (Berber: Wargrən, ) is the capital city of Ouargla Province in the Sahara Desert in southern Algeria. It has a flourishing petroleum industry and hosts one of Algeria's universities, the University of Ouargla. The commune of Ouargla had ...

, and have warned that this "will not go unpunished". According to the same source, the event took place on 1 November when the victims were making a commercial trip between the countries in the area. "Several factors indicate that the Moroccan occupation forces in the Western Sahara carried out this cowardly assassination with sophisticated weaponry", it added. Amid the deterioration of relations with Morocco, Algeria decided not to renew the contract of the

Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline The Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline (MEG; also known as the Pere Duran Farell pipeline or Gazoduc Maghreb Europe GME) is a natural gas pipeline, which links the Hassi R'Mel gas field in Algeria through Morocco with Cordoba in Andalusia, Spain, w ...

(GME), which expired at midnight on 31 October 2021. Since 1 November, Algerian natural gas exports to Spain and Portugal are primarily transported through the

Medgaz Medgaz is a submarine natural gas pipeline between Algeria and Spain. History The idea of building a direct gas pipeline between Algeria and Europe arose in the 1970s. However, the technical limitations at that time prevented the construction a ...

pipeline (with the short-term possibility of covering further demand either by expanding the Medgaz or by shipping

LNG Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is natural gas (predominantly methane, CH4, with some mixture of ethane, C2H6) that has been cooled to liquid form for ease and safety of non-pressurized storage or transport. It takes up about 1/600th the volume o ...

). In September 2024, Algeria imposed visas on Moroccans and accused Morocco of engaging in "various actions that threaten Algeria's stability", including "Zionist espionage" and "drug and human trafficking".

Diplomatic missions and official visits

* Algeria maintains an embassy in

, the capital of Morocco. * Morocco maintains an embassy in

, the capital of Algeria.

High level visits

* President

's visit to Morocco (May 2000) * President Bouteflika's visit to Morocco (September 2005) * King Mohammed VI's visit to Algeria (March 2005) * President Bouteflika's visit to Morocco (March 2006) * King Mohammed VI's visit to Algeria (February 2012) * President Bouteflika's visit to Morocco (December 2012)

Break of diplomatic relations

Algeria was opposed to the normalization agreement between Morocco and Israel in December 2020. In July 2021,

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

and

Forbidden Stories Forbidden Stories is a Nonprofit organization, non-profit organization with the mission "to continue and publish the work of other journalists facing threats, prison, or murder." To achieve this, it allows journalists to send their work to Forbid ...

reported that Morocco had targeted more than 6,000 Algerian phones, including those of politicians and high-ranking military officials, with the Israeli

Pegasus spyware Pegasus is spyware developed by the Israeli cyber-arms company NSO Group that is designed to be covertly and remotely installed on mobile phones running iOS and Android. While NSO Group markets Pegasus as a product for fighting crime and terro ...

. In August 2021, Algeria blamed Morocco and Israel of supporting the Movement for the self-determination of Kabylia, which the Algerian President

accused of being involved in the wildfires in northern Algeria. Tebboune accused Morocco of perpetrating hostile acts. In the same month, King

Mohammed VI of Morocco Mohammed VI (; born 21 August 1963) is King of Morocco. A member of the Alawi dynasty, he acceded to the throne on 23 July 1999, upon the death of his father, King Hassan II. Upon ascending to the throne, Mohammed initially introduced severa ...

reached out for reconciliation with Algeria and offered assistance in Algeria's battle against the fires. Algeria did not respond to the offer. On 18 August 2021, Tebboune chaired an extraordinary meeting of the High Council of Security to review Algeria's relations to Morocco. The president ordered an intensification of security controls at the borders. On 24 August 2021, Algerian foreign minister

Ramtane Lamamra Ramtane Lamamra (; born 15 June 1952) is an Algerian diplomat who has been serving as United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' Personal Envoy for Sudan since 2023. Lamamra previously served as the African Union's Commissioner for Pe ...

announced the break of diplomatic relations with Morocco. On 27 August 2021, Morocco closed the country's embassy in Algiers, Algeria. Furthermore, on 22 September 2021, Algeria's Supreme Security Council determined to close its

airspace Airspace is the portion of the atmosphere controlled by a country above its territory, including its territorial waters or, more generally, any specific three-dimensional portion of the atmosphere. It is not the same as outer space which is t ...

to all Moroccan civilian and military aircraft. On 30 July 2022, during a speech on the 22nd anniversary of his accession to the throne, Mohammed VI called for a renewal of normal relations with Algeria. On 27 September 2022, Algerian Minister of Justice Abderrachid Tabi met with Moroccan Foreign Minister

Nasser Bourita Nasser Bourita (; born ) is a Moroccan diplomat serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates since 5 April 2017. Education Bourita was born in Taounate Taounate () is a town in northern Morocco, ...

in Rabat to hand over Abdelmadjid Tebboune's invitation to the

Arab League The Arab League (, ' ), officially the League of Arab States (, '), is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945, initially with seven members: Kingdom of Egypt, Egypt, Kingdom of Iraq, ...

Summit in Algiers on 1 November 2022 for Mohammed VI. It was the first official visit since the break of diplomatic relations. On 8 September 2023, Algeria opened its airspace to Morocco for the first time since 2021 to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid after the

2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake On 8 September 2023 at 23:11 Daylight saving time in Morocco, DST (22:11 Coordinated Universal Time, UTC), an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent'') struck Morocco's Al Haouz Province. The ear ...

Cultural relations

The cultural relationship between Morocco and Algeria has a rich history that spans centuries. These neighboring countries share numerous cultural, linguistic, and historical ties that have shaped their interactions over time. While political tensions and disputes have sometimes strained their relations, the cultural bond between Morocco and Algeria has remained resilient.

Language

Language plays a significant role in the cultural connection between Morocco and Algeria. Both countries share the

Arabic language Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...

, with the

Maghrebi Maghrebi Arabic, often known as ''ad-Dārija'' to differentiate it from Literary Arabic, is a vernacular Arabic dialect continuum spoken in the Maghreb. It includes the Moroccan, Algerian, Tunisian, Libyan, Hassaniya and Saharan Arabic di ...

dialect being spoken in various regions. The dialects in each country have their unique nuances and accents, yet they exhibit similarities that enable effective communication and cultural exchange. Furthermore, the Berber language, specifically the

Tamazight The Berber languages, also known as the Amazigh languages or Tamazight, are a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. They comprise a group of closely related but mostly mutually unintelligible languages spoken by Berber communities, who ar ...

dialects, is spoken by significant populations in both nations, but the exact population of speakers has been difficult to ascertain due to lack of official recognition.

Cuisine

Cuisine is another aspect that showcases the cultural similarities between Morocco and Algeria. Both nations boast a rich gastronomic heritage, characterized by the use of aromatic spices, flavorful herbs, and diverse ingredients. Staple dishes like couscous, tagines,

pastilla Pastilla (, also called North African pie) is a meat or seafood pie in Maghrebi cuisine made with ''warqa'' dough (), which is similar to filo. It is a specialty of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, where its variation is known as malsouka. It ...

, and harira are enjoyed on both sides of the border, albeit with regional variations.

Religion

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

, the predominant religion in both countries, influences various aspects of daily life, social norms, and festivals. Religious observances, such as

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

Eid al-Fitr Eid al-Fitr () is the first of the two main Islamic holidays, festivals in Islam, the other being Eid al-Adha. It falls on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. Eid al-Fitr is celebrated by Muslims worldwide becaus ...

, and

Eid al-Adha Eid al-Adha () is the second of the two main festivals in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr. It falls on the 10th of Dhu al-Hijja, the twelfth and final month of the Islamic calendar. Celebrations and observances are generally carried forward to the ...

, are celebrated with fervor and create opportunities for communal gatherings. These religious festivities serve as occasions for both Moroccans and Algerians to come together, celebrate, and reinforce their cultural bonds. Both countries have penalties for publicly eating, drinking or smoking during Ramadan which can result in fines, community service or even jail time. The countries of

Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

and

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

have similar laws.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Algeria-Morocco relations Politics of Western Sahara Bilateral relations of Morocco