Algeria severed its diplomatic relations with Morocco. Algerian regime accused Rabat of every illness that the regime of Algiers is going through – from its implication in recent wildfires that ravaged the country of Kabylie to Morocco’s support for Israel to be awarded observer status at the African Union.

The reality however is different. the two countries had strained relations for decades. The recent fascist actions perpetuated by Algerian regime against Kabyle people was condemned by all world democracies and put Algeria in difficult posture.

In December 2020, United States of America along with its European allies recognized the sovereignty of Morocco over the Western Sahara territory in return to the recognition of Israel.

The diplomatic ties were first severed between Algeria and Morocco on the 7th of March 1976. Rabat put an end to its relations after the recognition by Algeria of Western Sahara. They re-established their relation in 1988 but the relation remained strained.

The recognition of the sovereignty of Morocco over Western Sahara happened in December 2020, what changed to trigger severing ties …

The Independence of Kabylie

Algeria has felt the heat when Moroccan delegation to the United Nation called for the Independence of the Kabyle people. The support of Morocco and other nations to the Kabyle cause has irritated Algeria.

During United Nations meeting of non-aligned countries on July 13th and 14th, Morocco has circulated a memo in which they stressed “The People of Kabylie deserve, like any other, the right to be free and independent”. Algeria has seen the recognition of the right of Kabyle people for a self-determination as a threat. The autonomy or independence of Kabylie will more likely result in the fall of Algerian dictatorship.

However, the official version that Algeria has put forward was the criminal origin of the wildfires in Kabylie. Algeria has put the blame on Morocco without providing any evidence. The proof however is already known and was leaked by Algerian secret service agent. The agent provided recordings and documents proving the origin of the decision to set fires in Kabylie. The Algerian policy of “zero Kabyle” decided in Mostaganem – a city of western Algeria – in April 2019, to destroy Kabylie has failed miserably. The Algerian regime in panic is looking to dress up their crime like princesses and find a new scapegoat. As usual, Algerian security services have actioned their relays and agents to suffocate Kabyle cause at the image of Said Sadi intervention to justify the upper hand of Algeria over Kabylia and derail the momentum of solidarity of Kabyle people toward the independence. They have intensified the propaganda on the state controlled media and television to spew hate against Kabyle people. Smail Mira qualified Kabyle people seeking freedom as terrorist. The Algeria television called Kabylie a terrorist region.

All these lies are happening to support the bigger lie of calling Kabyle Movement for the Independence, MAK, a terrorist organization. This decision full of consequences resulted in Algeria isolating itself even further. In the last few weeks, Western democracies including Canada, Germany, Portugal and Great Britain expelled several Algerian diplomats. In the meantime, they are welcoming Kabyle independentists and giving them a political asylums to activate without fear of retaliation from Algerian terrorist regime.

Two anonymous observers of the North African affairs from Canada and United States stated that Algeria is preparing a new war against the Kabyle people. They cited the “zero Kabyle” related documents that were recently leaked that show a series of actions that the regime of Algiers is planning to put in motion and that the type of propaganda used is similar to the one that we witnessed in 1991 against the winners of the elections that was canceled by the regime.

Pat Dixon

FreeLance Journalist