Algeria expels Moroccan diplomat over ‘suspicious actions’

Algeria expelled a Moroccan diplomat from Morocco’s consulate in Oran, declaring him persona non grata and ordering him to leave the country within 48 hours over alleged “suspicious actions.”

On 27 March, Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement outlining the decision, accusing the Moroccan diplomat of actions inconsistent with his diplomatic duties.

Khalid Chihane, who is temporarily standing in for the Moroccan Consul General in Algeria, was summoned to the ministry’s headquarters, where he met with the Director-General of Protocol. It was there that he was informed of the Algerian authorities’ decision to expel his deputy Mohamed El-Soufiani, labelling him a “persona non grata”.

The Algerian ministry clarified that the diplomat’s actions were “suspicious and incompatible with the nature of his duties at the consulate, constituting a violation of Algeria’s national laws and international norms, particularly the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.”

However, the specifics of the alleged misconduct were not disclosed.

Morocco and Algeria are currently locked in a bitter, decades-long rivalry, particularly with the Western Sahara territory at the heart of the conflict. Algeria supports the separatist Polisario Front, while Morocco considers the region as part of its sovereign territory.

In August 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco, accusing its neighbour of “hostile actions” in a move many saw as the culmination of years of escalating tensions.

It also halted the flow of gas through a pipeline to Spain via Morocco, banned all Moroccan aircraft from its airspace, and boycotted Moroccan ports.

The recent rapprochement between Morocco and France has further aggravated tensions with Algeria. Last July, France’s President Emmanuel Macron shifted policy to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara, prompting a furious reaction from Algeria, which recalled its ambassador to Paris in protest.

Despite the strained relations, it has remained a long-standing tradition for Moroccan citizens to gather at the border, waving to their Algerian neighbours.

With the border closed, travel between the two countries has become difficult.

During Ramadan this year, social media videos showed families on both sides of the border sharing Iftar, waving to relatives across the divide, speaking with similar accents, dancing to the same music, and in many cases, belonging to the same families.

In September, Algeria reintroduced visa requirements for Moroccan nationals, accusing Morocco of organising large-scale criminal networks involved in drug and human trafficking, illegal immigration, and espionage.

It also accused Morocco of sending “Zionist” spies with Moroccan passports to Algerian territory, though no evidence was provided to support these claims. 

Rabat has repeatedly dismissed these accusations as baseless, describing Algiers’ actions as unjustified.

In 2023, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune declared that relations with Morocco had reached “the point of no return.”

While formal diplomatic ties have been severed, both countries continued to maintain consular operations, with their respective consulates still functioning.

Rabat has yet to respond to Algeria’s latest move against its diplomat.