Morocco debunks anti-Algeria statement associated with its consul in Oran

The Moroccan embassy in Algeria have branded “fabricated” an alleged statement in which the consul of the kingdom in Oran, Algerian second city, called the oil-rich neighbor, an “enemy country”, Le360.ma news outlet reports.

A new dust-up has emerged between Algeria and Morocco after a 1:17-minute video in which Morocco’s consul in Oran, addressing on May 11 a group Moroccan nationals in the city and referring to the host country as “an enemy country” went viral on social media.

The clip showed the diplomat addressing a group of Moroccans that Algerian media referred to as stranded Moroccans wanting to be repatriated amid the covid-19 pandemic.

A source at the embassy in Algiers, Le360.ma reports, indicated that the clip is doctored and that the diplomat never used the terms associated to him.

“The video that you are referring to has been fixed to associate it to our diplomat (General Consul of Morocco in Oran), comments that he at any point made. Anyways, it is not the same content of the video that was handed to us on Monday,” the authorized source is quoted by the news outlet as saying.

“This doctored video with the comments associated with our general consul is opposed to the key fundamentals of the relations between the kingdom of Morocco and Algeria. These relations are based upon brotherhood and neighborliness,” the source added.

Another source told the online media that an investigation has been launched to know the ins and outs of the incident, and to understand the timing of the release of the video.

Relations between the two countries have been on edge over the Sahara issue and Algeria’s backing to the separatist Polisario front.

Earlier this month, Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita finger-pointed Algeria (without naming it) at Non Aligned Movement contact group for its hostility towards Morocco amid global efforts to stem the covid-19 pandemic.

“A Neighboring country continues to fuel separatism and to divert the resources of its people to fund regional destabilization acts,” Bourita said, deploring Algeria’s hostility at this particular context in which Morocco is calling for further global cooperation to counter the coronavirus pandemic.

Morocco also early this month deplored Algerian military drill near its borders using live rounds. The exercises were led by General Said Chengriha who once called Morocco “the enemy”.