Rabat – Algerian media has condemned a social media boycott on Algerian dates sold in Morocco, as relations between the two countries continue to deteriorate.
Moroccans took to Twitter, describing Algerian dates as “spoiled,” causing cancer because they have been “exposed to nuclear contamination.”
Algerian news outlets, such as Dzair Daily and Visa Algeria, condemned this campaign, calling it “too crude.”
Moroccans launched the campaign just a few weeks before the start of Ramadan, during which date consumption increases.
Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is expected to start on April 3 in Morocco. The official starting date will be announced pending crescent moon sighting.
The campaign caused uproar among Algerians, who are attempting to defend their dates products, claiming that their “dates are exported to most countries of the world and sold in most global markets.”
Moroccans on social media also want to promote their country’s local dates as an attempt to support the local economy, especially with Ramadan being right around the corner.
Algeria severed relations with Morocco in August 2021. The Morocco-Algeria crisis escalated after Spain’s latest decision regarding Morocco, when the south European country announced its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan in Western Sahara.
Algeria heavily criticized Spain’s change of position and its support for Morocco’s autonomy plan as a solution to the dispute over Western Sahara to the detriment of the Polisario Front, an ally of Algiers.
Read also: The Meaning of Algeria’s Angry Reaction to Spain’s Western Sahara Decision
