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Rabat – The General Secretariat of the League of Arab States hit back at an Algerian news outlet for using a divided map, challenging Morocco’s territorial integrity.
On Saturday, the secretariat denied that it has any media partners in covering the work of the Arab summit, which will take place on November 1-2.
The statement comes after Algerian news outlet AL24 News published a world map excluding Morocco’s southern provinces.
The map, which the Algerian news outlet published on its website, contradicts the map that the Arab League has adopted.
In response, the General Secretariat confirmed that the Arab League does not have an official map showing borders between Arab countries.
The secretariat adopted the map without showing the borders between countries in order to enhance the concept of Arab unity, The Arab League said in a statement.
The General Secretariat called on all media outlets to show “great care” in attributing the information published on their websites to the Arab League or its institutions.
The adoption of the divided Moroccan map by the media outlet angered the Moroccan delegation taking part in the meeting of Arab foreign ministers that opened on Saturday in Algeria.
Morocco’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita arrived in Algeria to take part in the meeting of the foreign ministers in preparation for the Arab League summit.
Following the map controversy, converging reports claimed that Bourita withdrew from the working meeting in protest of the map’s usage.
However, sources denied that the Moroccan delegation withdrew from the meeting.
Morocco’s participation in the summit comes amid ongoing escalated tensions between Rabat and Algiers.
Algeria cut ties with Morocco in August 2021, accusing its neighbor of causing the wildfires in the Kabylia region.
Morocco expressed regret for Algeria’s decision, denying the “fallacies” and “unfounded” accusations against it.
Algeria hosts, finances, and arms the Polisario Front’s independence claims in Western Sahara.
Despite the logistic and financial support the country provides for the separatist group, Algeria refuses to shoulder its responsibility in the Western Sahara dispute, claiming to be merely an observer.
However, the UN Security Council adopted on Thursday Resolution 2654, urging the Algerian regime to shoulder its responsibility in the dispute and to engage in the UN-led political process and its efforts to find a political solution.
The UN Security Council shattered Algeria’s position, “strongly encouraging” the country and the other parties in the dispute to engage with the Personal Envoy through the “duration of this process, in a spirit of realism and compromise to ensure a successful outcome.”
