Tebboune starts his second presidential term by imposing visas on Moroccan nationals wishing to travel to Algeria. He hopes that the Cherifian kingdom will adopt the principle of reciprocity to avoid a large Algerian influx into Morocco during the 35th edition of the African Cup of Nations.
By Hichem ABOUD
Since the CAF announced its decision to hold the next edition of the African Cup of Nations in Morocco, Algerian officials have struggled to sleep. They needed to find a way to prevent their western neighbor from hosting the most prestigious African sporting competition.
Having lost weight on the international stage, the Algerian regime first failed to get its candidacy accepted. It then failed to convince the Confederation of African Football to reject Morocco’s bid, claiming that Morocco had backed out of hosting the 30th edition, just months before the kickoff, due to the Ebola outbreak, which caused thousands of deaths in Africa. After being rebuffed by CAF’s governing bodies, the Algerian leaders had no choice but to admit to a reality that did not serve their interests.
Ah! This deep-rooted Moroccan phobia!
The number one problem for the Algerian regime is “how to stop Algerians from traveling to Morocco and discovering the achievements of a kingdom with resources ten times less than Algeria’s, but which has surged far ahead of its oil-rich neighbor.” Morocco’s progress isn’t measured by words or speeches full of lies. It is tangibly measured by road infrastructure, the railway network that includes the only high-speed train in Africa, and sports infrastructure that has placed the kingdom among the most prominent countries, even granting it the honor of organizing the 2030 World Cup with two European nations, Spain and Portugal. It’s monumental! The Algerian generals, the real decision-makers behind the scenes, can no longer stand it. All their futile agitation against Morocco has proven ineffective, as Morocco continues on its path quietly, without reacting to the provocations of a neighbor spiraling into chaos due to a dictatorship imposed on the Algerian people through electoral fraud, repression, and deceitful propaganda.
Alongside numerous unpopular decisions that go against the interests of the Algerian people, such as closing land borders, shutting down airspace, and severing diplomatic relations, there is now the unjust decision to impose visas on Moroccans wishing to enter Algeria, solely in the hope that the Cherifian kingdom will reciprocate.
But what if Morocco refuses to apply reciprocity? That would be the slap in the face that the leaders of a regime many describe as “rogue” deserve. It would be the blow that the masterminds of a regime suffering from chronic “Moroccan phobia” never anticipated.