Rabat – The Algerian government ordered the Moroccan deputy general consul in Oran, Mohamed Sefiani, to leave the country within 48 hours, and officially explained Persona non grata.
This decision follows a meeting on Thursday between Khalid Chihani, reigning manager of the Moroccan consulate in Algeriaand Mokhtar Amine Khelif, General Director of Protocol at the Algerian Foreign Ministry.
The Algerian authorities named “suspicious actions” as the reason for the designation, but specific details on these actions were not presented.
The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Sefiani’s alleged acts were considered incompatible with his role as a consular civil servant and violated Algerian laws and international regulations, in particular with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.
This development takes place in the middle of the run Political tensions Between Morocco and Algeria. In 2021, Algeria separated diplomatic relationships with Morocco and accused Rabat of being responsible for the devastating forest fires in the Kabylie region. Morocco emphatically rejected these accusations and called them unfounded.
The tense relationships are further tightened by the continued support of Algeria for the Polisario front, a separatist group supported by Algeria, which undermines the territorial integrity of Morocco via its southern provinces in Western Sahara.
The decision to rule out the Moroccan diplomat only gives the continued crack between the two nations, with Algeria constantly showing his frustration over the growing support that Morocco receives for his autonomy plan on the world stage. Despite these tensions, Morocco has repeatedly expressed his willingness to dialogue with Algeria.
In his throne day speech in July 2022, King Mohammed VI Morocco confirmed to improve relationships and emphasized that the closing of limits should not hinder mutual understanding between the two peoples.
The diplomatic situation remains tense from now on, with Morocco rejecting AlgeriaActions and urge according to a more constructive approach to solve their differences.
