Washington  / Morocco Board News-   Algeria is aware that a border closure with the neighboring Morocco is no longer a wise choice in the light of the earthshaking metamorphose that swept the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region and led to the fall of ozymandias like potentates in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Yemen, respectively.

It is nearly 18 years now that the Moroccan-Algerian borders are closed when Rabat decided to impose entry visas on Algerians in the aftermath of bomb attacks on the Atlas Asni Hotel in the enchanting city of Marrakech; then followed by the unexpected deportation of thousands of Algerian residents and tourists as Moroccan authorities suspected Algeria of having a hand in the incident.

The borders closure has only fueled up cross-border smuggling across the Moroccan Algerian frontier between the juxtaposing towns of Oujda and Oran; hundreds of smugglers cross every day the borders illegally to flood Oujda, only a ten-minute drive from the border, with Algerian cheap hydrocarbons, cigarettes, narcotics and contraband goods. Foreign trade key performance indicators between the two countries have been badly affected; textiles & clothing SMEs (Small & Medium-sized enterprises) were flourishing in the eastern regions of Morocco to provide Algeria markets with high-quality clothes at a bargain price. In the 1990’s, mountains of vegetables, fruit and livestock products were made at the disposal of brotherly Algerians in Oujda markets.

It’s no wonder that Mr. Bouguerra Soltani, leader of the Algerian moderate Islamist party “Movement of Society for Peace” gave a bulldozing importance in the party’s electoral campaigns to opening the borders with Morocco should his political party win the coming legislative elections. All Algerian political leaders, even the cagiest ones, are confident that opening the closed borders is an ineluctable solution to foster the region’s security and kick the aggrandizing Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terror pockets out of north Africa.

Dr. Saâdeddine El Othmani, the first Moroccan Foreign Affairs Minister to set foot in Sidi M'Hamed district-based El Mouradia presidential palace in nine years, paid his first overseas official visit to Alger to deliver an unmistakable message to Algeria’s leadership; Morocco looks high and low for a serious solution to the long diplomatic impasse with the neighboring Algeria. But the bullheaded foreign policy adopted by the "Algerian foreign affairs ministry" always aborts Moroccan attempts to reunite the two peoples. Alas, neither foreign affairs secretary nor prime minister are empowered enough to open the borders with Morocco. The real diplomacy decision-makers in Algeria are not Abdelaziz Belkhadem or Mourad Medelci; it is rather the military institution.

Trigger-happy senior military officers in the People’s National Army (PNA) headquarters’ roomy offices care much about how to use their surplus weapons helter-skelter than proactively champion an artlessly peace process with the neighboring countries, namely Morocco, or the most vehement foe in their eyes. Generals’ involvement in internal and external dossiers is no longer a top secret defense (TSD) issue in Algeria. Several retired and fired military officers let the TSD affairs all hang out in their life-or-death books and autobiographies.

Lt. Habib Souaidai’s “Dirty War”, Lyes Laribi’s “Generals Owned Algeria” and Col. Mohamed Samraoui’s “Bloodshed Years” are books, among others, that unshrouded the most enshrouded shocking facts about the Algerian military institutions. Moroccan-Algerian borders might be reopened overnight should Algeria’s military generals have a strong volition to retain a sustainable security in the region through sincere coordination with Rabat not just economically and financially but also through developing joint strategic security action plans to fight AQDIM in North Africa.

Dr. Ibrahim Abdel Hamid Ibrahim, former Algeria's prime minister, stated in his interview to the London-based Quds International News Agency that Algeria would probably have avoided the outbreak of the Sand War (October 1963) with Morocco, but that required qualified leaders in Alger, a leader from the laypeople and for the people; someone who would say "No" to the warmongers grave mistakes and unforgivable blunders.

Opening the borders with Morocco without removing the military's overt and covert interference in the Algerian political scene will be nothing but an abstruse diplomatic step to throw dust in the eyes of the international community and calm down the pro-reform marches swarming all Algerian provinces and prefectures demanding the Military institution to concede more powers to the parliament and prime minister.  
 

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Rachid Err said:

Enough to the confusion ! Dear brothers, enough of patriotism! and enough of the dream of one Maghreb! For any countries to unite Politicly or economically, they must share one vital principe and that simply called DEMOCRACY! The problem with us as Arab and maghrebians we let sentiment take over our thinking! We are the only countries in the world that we still live in the cold war erra! Sad but true! The EU contries started as an Economic Union EEC ! Remember just 55 years ago this countries, they were tearing themselves a part in WW2, those countries don't share any language, religion or past... one vital and important thing they all share is a Democratic constitutions that helped them to have a clear VISION to what they want to achieve from the union. God help us brothers. What we need first is real democratic constitutional rights followed by huge investment in Education! And let the rest come naturally. I am true Arab plus Maghrebians minus sentiment and confusion. Rachid

03/03/12

Algerian said:

... " Beggars can't be choosers" On one hand you guys beg day and night for the reopening of the borders and on the other hand Mr El gouzali has the nerves to lecture us on what Algerians should do in their owen country I like the following part "Opening the borders with Morocco without removing the military's overt and covert interference in the Algerian political scene will be nothing but an abstruse diplomatic step to throw dust in the eyes of the international community " Is if opening the borders is an Algerian demand or necessity The Borders were opened in the early 90's and Morocco was making Beaucoup mOney and the eastern provinces were booming Well Morocco started it by falsely accusing DRS, imposing visa not only on Algerian citizens, but on every person of Algerian origins and expelled Algerian tourists in a very humiliating way. Well if you guys were brave enough to takes these measures you should be brave enough to take the Algerian response. At the risk of repeating my self, unless Algeria gets something in return, the borders will never be open

02/22/12

Another Algerian said:

You better investigate Your king's advisor spying scandal Mr. El Gouzouli if you have not heard about it or if Moroccan board has not heard about it, you better investigate a more serious issue for Morocco, and actually the whole region, rather than bashing Algeria and take your dreams for sheer truth: a Moroccan Jew, Mr. Cohen has accused another Moroccan Jew, Mr. André Azoulay of spying on behalf of Israel against Morocco. He is a Sayanim. It's everywhere, on Al Jazeera. The borders will be opened when Algeria wills. We Algerians know that the Maghreb needs to be build up, it was one of the three objectives of the Algerian Revolution, but many people doubt Moroccan capacity to have a vision which is independent from the West and Israel. I do hope conditions will be reunited for such purpose, unfortunately this site does not contribute to meet such purpose.

02/22/12

beltitane said:

propaganda your article says nothing good about Algeria making Morocco looks like a peace maker neighbor. You failed.

02/21/12

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