Presidency says the transfer comes ‘in view of the continued provocations and hostile practices on the Moroccan facet’.
Algeria’s presidency has introduced the closure of the nation’s airspace to all Moroccan planes, based on the presidency, within the newest dispute between the 2 neighbours at odds primarily over Western Sahara.
The transfer on Wednesday was introduced after a gathering of the Excessive Safety Council chaired by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
A press release stated the rapid shutting down affected “all civilian and army plane in addition to to these registered in Morocco”.
The choice got here “in view of the continued provocations and hostile practices on the Moroccan facet”, it added.
There was no rapid response by Morocco.
A supply at Royal Air Maroc (RAM) advised Reuters information company the transfer would solely have an effect on 15 flights weekly linking Morocco with Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt.
The supply, who requested to stay nameless, described the affect on RAM as insignificant and stated the related flights might reroute over the Mediterranean.
Algeria broke off diplomatic ties with Morocco on August 24, accusing it of “hostile actions” after months of heightened tensions between the 2 North African nations.
The earlier month, the Algerian overseas ministry had recalled its ambassador to Morocco and hinted at doable additional measures.
The transfer was linked to feedback from the Moroccan envoy to the United Nations, Omar Hilal, on Algeria’s Kabylie area, the ministry stated after the envoy drew the area into the decades-old dispute over Western Sahara, which is claimed by Morocco in addition to the Algeria-backed Polisario Entrance.
Hilal had referred to as at a gathering of the Non-Aligned Motion for “the proper of self-determination for the folks residing within the Kabylie area” in reference to Algeria’s Tamazight-speaking minority.
He had prompt Algeria shouldn’t deny that whereas backing self-determination for Western Sahara.
Morocco’s normalisation of ties with Israel final yr as a quid professional quo for US recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara additionally angered Algiers.
Land borders between Algeria and Morocco have been shut for the reason that early Nineties over safety, aggravating friction between Algiers and Rabat whose relations have been worsening as a result of battle.