Rabat – In a perceived direct response to Morocco’s growing diplomatic success, Algeria has reinstated visa requirements for Moroccan citizens, escalating tensions between the two North African neighbors.
The announcement, made today by Algeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, means that Moroccans can no longer enter Algeria with just a passport. Instead, they will now have to apply for a visa through Algerian consular services, adding another layer of strain to already fraught relations.
The timing of the decision has raised eyebrows, coming the same day Denmark expressed support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as a framework to resolve the long-standing dispute over Western Sahara.
The Danish endorsement is a diplomatic victory for Morocco, further solidifying international backing for its position on the disputed region.
This move from Algeria is part of a broader campaign from the regime, in which each step forward for Moroccan diplomacy is met with a counteraction from Algiers.
The decision is also in line with its propaganda agenda, seeking to create hype that overshadows the growing support for Morocco’s territorial integrity, particularly Denmark’s recent position.
Morocco’s sovereignty over its southern provinces in Western Sahara has gained significant traction in recent years, with major powers such as the United States and France endorsing the country’s autonomy plan. Denmark’s recent statement adds yet another layer to this growing international consensus.
Denmark’s support was announced publicly by Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which conveyed the Danish government’s position on the Western Sahara dispute.
This endorsement is seen as a significant boost for Rabat, which has been steadily gaining ground in its diplomatic efforts to secure global recognition of its sovereignty over the Sahara.
With Denmark, 18 EU countries now regard and support Morocco’s Autonomy Planas a serious and credible basis to end the dispute over the Sahara.
Algeria, which supports and funds the Polisario Front — a separatist movement claiming independence in Western Sahara — has consistently opposed Morocco’s plan submitted to the UN Security Council in 2007.
For Algiers, the recent Danish endorsement, represents another diplomatic defeat, heightening tensions with Rabat. The latest visa regulation is being perceived as a symbolic but significant escalation in the rivalry between the two nations.
Over the years, Algeria and Morocco have found themselves on opposite sides of numerous regional and international issues, but the Western Sahara dispute remains the most contentious.
As Moroccan diplomacy continues to garner international support for its position on the Sahara, Algiers appears to be hardening its stance.
This is not the first time Algeria made similar responses. In July, Algeria recalled its ambassador to Paris and threatened to impose sanctions against France over the European country’s support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan.
“This is not a recall of the ambassador for consultation. It is a reduction in diplomatic representation. It is a significant step to express our condemnation and disapproval,” Algerian Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Attaf said at a press conference following the French position.
Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021, blaming Rabat for the wildfires triggered by high temperatures during the summer in the Kabylie region.
Regretting Algiers’ decision, Rabat rejected the accusations, describing them as “unfounded fallacies.”
