Morocco’s King Mohammed VI affirmed that he hopes for a return to normality and open borders with Algeria amid severed diplomatic ties.
The borders between Algeria and Morocco, the two most populous nations in the Maghreb region, have been shut since 1994, even though Morocco has consistently urged for their reopening in recent years.
In 2021, Algeria broke off relations with Morocco and stopped the gas pipeline to Spain via Morocco, and later barred Moroccan aircraft from flying over its airspace.
While Morocco claims Western Sahara as part of its territory, the Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, seeks to create an independent state there.
The King of Morocco, in a speech reported by Reuters, hoped for a return to normalcy and for the borders between the two “neighboring, sister countries and peoples” to be opened.
Simultaneously, the foreign ministry of Rabat announced on Saturday that the Dominican Republic has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Roberto Álvarez, the Dominican Republic’s foreign minister, expressed this position in a letter, aligning the Dominican Republic with the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, which inaugurated a consulate in Western Sahara the previous year.
About 28 states, primarily from the Arab and African regions, have established consulates in the territory, demonstrating their endorsement of Rabat.
Morocco obtained recognition for its sovereignty over the area from Israel earlier this month, following the United States’ similar action in 2020, a move that has been heavily criticized by Algeria.
