Algeria opens its border with Morocco - for Gaza aid.

For over fifteen years the the border between Morocco and Algeria has been closed and in a welcome development has been opened to allow passage for an aid convoy heading towards the Gaza Strip. The opening, near the Moroccan town of Oujda,is described as "temporary", but Morocco, which has long been calling for Algeria to open the border, hopes the opening will be the start of better relationship.

The frontier was shut in 1994 after Morocco accused Algeria's secret services of masterminding the attack on a hotel in Marrakech. However, according to the BBC's James Copnall, though the Morocco-Algeria crossing was opened for the convoy, there is little sign ordinary people will be able to travel overland between Morocco and Algeria any time soon.

The convoy of 99 vehicles which left from the UK loaded with medicine, food, clothes and toys is due to cross from Egypt to Gaza in early March.

Diplomatic relations between the Algeria and Morocco have long been poor, and disagreements are currently focused on the disputed territory of the Western Sahara which Moroccans considers part of Morocco. Algeria is one of the few countries that supports the Polisario Front independence movement - a position that has prolonged the tension between the two nations.

Algeria does not intend to finalise a normalisation with Morocco, including reopening borders with her, unless some conditions are met, Secretary General of FLN, the Personal Representative of President Bouteflika said on Saturday.

Abdelaziz Belkhadem told a press conference at the government owned TV headquarters, that opening borders with Morocco for an aid convoy heading towards Gaza Strip does not mean that Algeria is considering reopening the long closed borders, for the moment. Belkhadem added that such a decision would be taken after that Rabat responds to a line of conditions, including security cooperation, countering smuggling, narcotics trafficking and illegal migration, as well as “some other things” which he did not detail.

Yet observers believe that “the other things” are about Morocco being urged to give up her position on the Western Sahara issue by accepting the principle of self-determination, as well as ceasing to accuse Algeria of hindering UN efforts to find a solution to the Sahraoui conflict.


Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news