The Moroccan embassy in Algeria will close on Friday following Algiers' severance of diplomatic relations with Rabat, according to an official Moroccan source.
Read also Algeria breaks diplomatic relations with Morocco
From Friday, the Moroccan embassy
"will close, the ambassador and all the staff will be repatriated to Rabat,"
this source told AFP on Thursday. The Algerian authorities announced Tuesday the severance of diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing it of
"hostile actions"
against their country. Morocco, for its part, regretted this
“completely unjustified” decision
and rejected
“the fallacious, even absurd, pretexts which underlie it”
.
Traditionally difficult, relations between Algeria and its Moroccan neighbor have experienced a recent deterioration due, in particular, to the thorny issue of Western Sahara.
The Moroccan consulates in Algiers, Oran and Sidi Bel Abbes
"will remain open"
, according to the official source.
"Credible partner"
Following the Algerian decision, the kingdom stressed that it
"will remain a credible and loyal partner for the Algerian people and will continue to act, with wisdom and responsibility for the development of healthy and fruitful inter-Maghreb relations"
, according to a
press
release. of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
At the end of July, King Mohamed VI deplored the
"tensions"
with Algeria, inviting Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune
"to make wisdom prevail"
and
"work in unison for the development of relations"
between the two countries.