On Saturday, Moroccan King Mohammed VI renewed his call for Algeria to open its borders with Morocco in a speech addressed to the Moroccan people on the occasion of the 22nd anniversary of his accession to the throne. The Moroccan monarch expressed his conviction that "open borders are the natural state between two neighboring countries and brotherly peoples, as closing borders contradicts a natural right and an inherent legal principle, enshrined in international treaties, including the foundational Marrakech Treaty of the Arab Maghreb Union, which stipulates the free movement of people and the transfer of services, goods, and capital between its member states."
He added, "Neither the current Algerian president nor the former one, nor I am responsible for the decision to close the borders, but we are politically and morally responsible for its continuation, before God, history, and our citizens."
The borders between Algeria and Morocco have been closed since 1994 after Algeria shut them down due to Morocco imposing visas on Algerian citizens following accusations against Algerians of carrying out a "terrorist" act in a hotel in Marrakech. Relations between the two countries have also been strained due to Algeria’s support for the Polisario Front, which has been contesting Moroccan control over the Western Sahara region and seeks its independence since 1976.
On Saturday, the Moroccan king stated, "We do not want to blame anyone, nor to give lessons to anyone, but we are brothers divided by a foreign body that has no place between us." He also responded to previous Algerian reactions that claim opening the borders with Morocco would harm Algeria and increase smuggling and drug trafficking, saying that this is "not true... and this narrative cannot be believed by anyone, especially in the era of communication and technology... Closed borders do not sever communication between the two peoples; rather, they contribute to closing minds that are influenced by some media outlets' misleading narratives... and I assure our brothers in Algeria that evil and problems will never come to you from Morocco."
Hassan Lahdadi, a Moroccan politician and university professor, told Reuters that Saturday's speech "carries many implications, as it calls on Algeria before the peoples of the region and the world that as the King of Morocco, I am committed to building strong brotherly relations between the two neighboring countries, and he addressed it in a sincere, frank, and strong tone."
