Open that border! Will the long stalemate between Morocco and Algeria ever end?

                                                 Open that border!

                             Will the long stalemate between  Morocco and Algeria ever end?

Is the reopening of the Moroccan-Algerian border ever possible? There are thousands of people from the two respective countries that  believe  that one day they can cross freely  the two sides of the Maghreb .

King Mohammed VI has been pressing hard lately  to  improve the Moroccan-Algerian relations, yet the continuing  Western Sahara conflict leaves no door to real progress.

In 1994, Morocco closed its borders  following the Islamist militant attack at  ASNI hotel in Marrakech that was behind it the Algeria`s secret service .

The closed border since 1994 between Algeria and Morocco is a long-term problem that hinders building greater economic and security cooperation between the two countries  as well as preventing the  integration in the greater Maghreb .Citing this ``Closed border`` question  remains the competition over the indecisive efforts on Western Sahara conflict resolution. This conflict which is  de facto  the most  disruptive and mostly contended  issue on the North African geopolitical level that has been undergoing for more than 30 years .

The border region between Morocco and Algeria still remains tense and enhances the rivalry between the two countries. Following are key events that affected Morocco and Algeria`s common border

1844 - A series of battles between French and Moroccan troops engendered into  the Treaty of Tangier in which Morocco recognizes Algeria as part of  France with a defined frontier.

1912 -  When Morocco  was under the French protectorate, this latter  shifted border westwards to place more land within its colony Algeria.

1963 – A  two months conflict breaks out between Morocco and Algeria after each side accuses the other of gradually  taking  over of 1,200 KM desert territory which lead to the closure of the border.

1964 - The Organisation of African Unity steps in to settle the dispute, allowing the border to reopen.

1972 - Algeria and Morocco come to an agreement over their common border but Morocco waits 20 years before ratifying it.

1976 - The border is closed again when Hassan II launched the ``Green March `` into Spain`s former colony –this has soured relations with Algeria ,which back up the RASD .

1988 - Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria improve  and the border reopens.

1994 –  After the killing of two Spaniards at a Marrakech hotel by gunmen, the kingdom of Morocco imposes visa restrictions on Algerian Nationals . Algeria shuts the border.

1999 – Ties  improve after the death of Morocco's King Hassan yet the idea to reopen the border seem impossible after a deadly attack by the Algerian Armed Group ( GIA ) .

After more than 15 years of intermittent closure of Moroccan-Algerian border,  Morocco and Algeria need to step up to the plate and intensify their efforts  to end this nightmare . Morocco for instance has shown good  will during the last few months. To cite just a few ,during the last Algerian independence  celebration , the king of Morocco reiterated  his good intentions to improve the bonds between the two  countries. In his  previous Throne Day celebration speech, he suggested an accurate measure that shows good intentions  of improving relations with neighboring Algeria. In addition ,during the last recent months  ministers of both countries crossed the borders for talks to further the relations.

The opening of the border between the two countries remain a useful regional strategy and an economic and social  necessity  for the Moroccan-Algerian interests.

By :Yasmine Hasnaoui