The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the country's ambassador to Morocco on Sunday and hinted at the possibility of further measures, in the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries regarding the disputed Western Sahara region. The ministry stated that this action was related to comments made by the Moroccan ambassador to the United Nations about the Kabylie region, after the Moroccan envoy included the area in the longstanding dispute dating back decades concerning Western Sahara, which Morocco claims sovereignty over, and which is also claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.
In a statement, the ministry said, "In light of the absence of any positive and appropriate response from the Moroccan side, it was decided today to summon the Algerian ambassador in Rabat for consultation immediately. Other measures may not be ruled out, depending on the developments in this issue." The Moroccan ambassador, during a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement, called for the "right to self-determination for the Kabyle people," referring to the Amazigh-speaking minority in Algeria. He indicated that Algeria should not deny this while supporting the right to self-determination in Western Sahara.
The Polisario Front has been fighting for the independence of Western Sahara, which was a Spanish colony until the mid-1970s and is now largely controlled and administered by Morocco. The land border between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since the early 1990s for security reasons, exacerbating the rift between the two countries, whose relations have deteriorated due to the conflict.
