On Friday, the Arab League called on Morocco and Algeria to “calm down and exercise restraint and extinguish the fuse of strife between the two neighboring countries.”
This came according to a statement by the League (a gathering of Arab personalities), in light of the escalating tension in relations between Morocco and Algeria since the latter severed its relationship with Rabat last August, due to what it considered “hostile trends,” which Rabat rejected and said that it was “justifications.” False and absurd.
The statement said: “The Arab League calls on the leadership of the two countries to calm down and exercise restraint and extinguish the fuse of strife that threatens to ignite the fire of war and sabotage stability in the region and increase the level of hatred.”
He expressed “great concern over the successive escalatory steps between Algeria and Morocco, in a way that threatens to further exacerbate and potentially clash.”
The Arab League considered that “it is the duty of the two peoples in Algeria and Morocco, and their living forces in parliamentarians, parties, organizations, youth organizations and others, to work to contain the dispute between their countries and prevent the spread of sedition and hostility.”
He also called on those he described as “wise men of the nation” to intervene and calm matters between the two Arab countries.
The Arab League stressed the importance of organizing popular and media events in several Arab countries in order to encourage understanding and harmony between the elites of Morocco and Algeria to contain the escalating strife.
The “Arab League” is a non-governmental organization based in Tunisia that was established in 2014, and brings together several Arab personalities, and is headed by the former President of Tunisia, Moncef Marzouki.
And on Wednesday, the Algerian presidency announced the “assassination” of 3 of its citizens who were on commercial trucks transporting goods to Mauritania, and accused the Moroccan side of “involvement in the bombing with advanced weapons,” vowing that this “will not go unpunished.”
Commenting on this accusation, Moroccan government spokesman Mustapha Baitas told reporters, Thursday, that his country “adheres to very strict respect for the principles of good neighborliness with everyone,” without further details.
Despite the blockage of bilateral relations between the two countries against the backdrop of the two closed land borders files since 1994, and the issue of the disputed Sahara region between Rabat and the “Polisario” Front, the two peoples are showing positive messages, which appear through a number of fields such as sports, art, and social media platforms.
Rabat proposes expanded autonomy in the Sahara region under its sovereignty, while the “Polisario” calls for a referendum for self-determination, a proposal supported by Algeria, which hosts refugees from the region.
