Another Statement from Another World… and a Different Kind of Concern!

ALDAR / Analysis

Once again, Algerian diplomacy returns with its statements reflecting a recurring obsession with Morocco’s actions within the framework of its sovereignty and strategic partnerships. This time, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning the French-Moroccan military maneuvers scheduled for next September in the Moroccan city of Errachidia. These exercises fall within the framework of defense cooperation between Rabat and Paris, just like the maneuvers Algeria conducts with other countries without any external party having the right to object.

What is laughable about the Algerian statement is the portrayal of these maneuvers as a “direct threat” to Algerian security, even though everyone knows that these exercises are geographically distant from Algeria and do not target it in any way. Has Algeria now started considering any Moroccan military activity—even within its own territory—as a hostile act directed against it?! And if so, how does Algeria justify its military exercises with Russia in the Algerian desert or its military agreements with other countries without consulting its neighbors?

Talking about “provocation” and “fueling crises” only reflects the double standards Algeria adopts when it comes to Morocco. While Algeria strengthens its military alliances and hosts exercises with international powers, it considers any Moroccan military partnership a direct threat, a stance that only escalates regional tensions and creates unnecessary diplomatic crises.

The most surprising part of the statement is Algeria’s demand for “clarifications” from the French ambassador, as if Paris is required to obtain Algeria’s approval before conducting military exercises with its Moroccan ally! Would Algeria, by the same logic, agree to justify its every military move with its international partners to other capitals?

Such repeated Algerian statements do nothing but highlight Algeria’s obsession with everything Moroccan and portray Algerian diplomacy as being in a constant race to obstruct any Moroccan progress, including in defense cooperation with major powers. Algeria would do better to focus on its internal affairs and respect the sovereignty of other nations, instead of fabricating imaginary crises that undermine its credibility on the international stage.