Killing of Moroccans: Canada Warns Citizens Against Crossing Algerian Border

Canada has urged its citizens to stay away from Algeria’s border if they are visiting Morocco. The warning came after Algeria’s Coast guards opened fire on and killed two Moroccan-French tourists, whose jet skis mistakenly drifted to Algerian waters on August 29.

Rabat – Canada has urged its citizens to stay away from Algeria’s border if they are visiting Morocco. The warning came after Algeria’s Coast guards opened fire on and killed two Moroccan-French tourists, whose jet skis mistakenly drifted to Algerian waters on August 29.

“Morocco’s border with Algeria is closed. Don’t attempt to cross into Algeria by land or water,” the warning said.

The Algerian government also warned its citizens to avoid boating near the maritime border “in order not to cross it.”

The warning came just a few days after the UK issued a similar notice, urging British citizens traveling to Morocco to stay clear of Algerian waters over safety concerns.

“If you are in a boat or hiring a jet ski, make sure you know where the maritime border is and remain clearly within Moroccan territorial waters,” the UK Foreign Office said in its travel advisory for Morocco.

The notice also called on British tourists to check if they have enough fuel to be able to return to shore, noting that the land border between Algeria and Morocco is closed.

The UK also recalled that the border extends into the sea, urging them to avoid attempting to cross it.

Algerian coast guards killed two Moroccan tourists whose jet skis mistakenly crossed into Algerian waters on August 29.

Finding themselves in distress, the tourists’ jet skis were running out of fuel when they were trying to find their way back to Moroccan waters.

The victims included two survivors, one of whom was able to swim back to Morocco where he was rescued by a Moroccan sea patrol and a second victim who was sentenced to 18 months in prison by an Algerian court.

The murder has sparked uproar and frustration in Morocco, with many denouncing the killing of the tourists.

Many NGOs have called for protests against the Algerian coast guards’ decision to murder the two victims.

Moroccan rights groups also condemned the attack on the tourists, including Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH), which described Algeria’s decision to open fire on people in distress as a serioues violation of the law.