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Algiers – Algeria stated Wednesday it was suspending a decades-old co-operation treaty with Spain, after Madrid backed the place of the North African nation’s arch-rival Morocco on the disputed Western Sahara.
“Algeria has determined to instantly droop the treaty of friendship, good neighbourliness and co-operation,” the Algerian presidency stated in an announcement.
Madrid and Algiers had signed the deal in 2002 to advertise dialogue and cooperation on political, financial, monetary, schooling and defence points.
A Spanish diplomatic supply informed AFP that the federal government of Pedro Sanchez “regrets the Algerian choice”.
Algeria’s transfer got here in retaliation after Spain in March publicly recognised Morocco’s autonomy plan for the disputed territory, serving to finish a year-long diplomatic spat between the 2 kingdoms.
However Algeria stated Wednesday that Spain’s transfer had been “in violation of its authorized, ethical and political obligations” in direction of the territory, a former Spanish colony.
That displays the complicated problem Madrid faces in balancing its ties with each states, bitter rivals.
Algeria, which backs the Polisario motion searching for independence within the Western Sahara, had in August final yr broke off diplomatic ties with Rabat over “hostile acts”.
Morocco controls 80 % of the Western Sahara.
The remaining is held by the Polisario, which fought a 15-year battle with Morocco after Spanish forces withdrew in 1975 and calls for a referendum on independence.
– ‘Illegitimate components’ –
Morocco has supplied restricted autonomy however insists the phosphate and fisheries-rich enclave should stay underneath its sovereignty.
Spain formally endorsed that place in March to assist resolve a year-long diplomatic dispute sparked by a go to by Polisario chief Brahim Ghali to Spain for therapy for Covid-19.
Weeks after his hospitalisation, Moroccan border forces regarded the opposite manner as greater than 10,000 migrants surged into Spain’s tiny North African enclave of Ceuta, an incident seen as meant to strain Madrid.
In April Sanchez made an official go to to Morocco to patch up ties after his authorities backed Rabat’s 2007 autonomy plan.
Algiers stated Wednesday that Madrid had thereby “given its full assist to an unlawful and illegitimate components… advocated by the occupying energy”.
Spain’s place is difficult as a result of whereas it shares borders and powerful financial ties with Morocco, it additionally relies upon partly on Algeria for pure fuel.
That dependence that has develop into extra acute as vitality costs exploded following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but in addition as a result of Algeria in October final yr stopped pumping fuel to Spain via a pipeline traversing Morocco.
And in a veiled warning to Morocco, Sanchez stated Wednesday that “Spain won’t tolerate any use of the tragedy of unlawful immigration as a way of strain.”
“One of the simplest ways is worldwide cooperation,” he stated.
Algeria and Morocco have seen months of tensions since Morocco re-established ties with Israel in December 2020 in change for Washington additionally recognising Rabat’s sovereignty over the Western Sahara.
That got here simply weeks after the Polisario had declared a 1991 ceasefire null and void, stepping up assaults on Moroccan forces.
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