Rabat – Raja of Casablanca fans have surprised Algeria with political slogans, unapologetically sung in Algerian streets, in defense of Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Following the victory of Raja against Mouloudia d’Alger as part of the Mohammed VI cup, footage has emerged of fans the Moroccan team celebrating the win in a unique way in the streets of Algiers.
A group of Moroccan are seen bouncing in delight and chanting slogans in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over its provinces in the Western Sahara region.
The fans repeated slogans such as, “we came here with political minds to say that the Sahara is Moroccan.”
The slogans also include chants saying that Moroccan and Algerian peoples are always brother or “khawa khawa,” which loosely translates as “forever brothers.”
Over the years, Raja of Casablanca fans have earned worldwide recognition for their strong slogans, addressing issues such as the Palestinian cause, poverty, social disparities and poverty.
The latest slogans come amid continued tensions between Morocco and Algeria. The new government in Algiers has vowed to continue to support the Polisario Front and its independence claims over the Western Sahara region.
Background of the Morocco-Algeria rift
For Morocco, supporting self-determination in Western Sahara is a diplomatic red light, a challenge to both its historical sovereignty over the region and its territorial integrity.
In recent months, the Moroccan government has repeatedly called on Algeria to engage in a political dialogue to break the long-standing diplomatic stalemate between the two countries.
The Algerian government, however, has vowed to continue to support the breakaway group. Meanwhile, Algiers has also accused Rabat of , being the reason why the borders between the two countries have been closed for over two decades.
President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has claimed that the tension between Morocco and Algeria over borders is not due to the Western Sahara conflict. He said that Morocco should formally apologize to Algiers for accusing it of involvement in the Asni attack in 1994 in Marrakech.
The attack’s perpetrators were of Algerian origin.
Following the attack, Morocco decided to impose visa regulations on Algerians.
Eventually, Algeria decided to close its border with Morocco.
Tebboune claimed that hundreds of Algerians were stranded after the Asni attack in Morocco, a narrative that Morocco has strongly denied.
In response to the claims, a Facebook page specialized in military affairs in Morocco recently shared a video of thousands of Moroccans being expelled from Algeria in 1975 in Eid Al Adha (Sacrifice Feast).
Former Algerian president Boumediene ordered the expulsion of Moroaccans in response to Morococ’s decision to organize a Green March to defend its territorial integrity.
