Madrid: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez recently visited Algeria to engage in discussions with Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and Prime Minister Sifi Ghrieb. The primary goal of these meetings was to address and resolve the diplomatic tensions that have existed between Spain and Algeria since 2022. The discord arose when Spain expressed support for Morocco’s proposal for autonomy in the Western Sahara conflict, a move that displeased Algeria.

According to Deutsche Welle, the diplomatic strain between Spain and Algeria is intricately linked to the broader rivalry between Algeria and Morocco, especially concerning the Western Sahara conflict. The situation is further complicated by allegations that Morocco might have responded to Spain’s stance by facilitating a surge of migrants into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta. This claim has been discussed in an opinion piece by the Spanish newspaper El Pais, which highlighted the timing of the Ceuta incident coinciding with Sanchez’s visit to Algeria, suggesting potential Moroccan involvement as a form of diplomatic leverage.

These allegations have been denied by Moroccan officials. Rachid El Khalfi, a spokesperson for the Moroccan interior ministry, attributed the migrant influx to “the malicious exploitation of the digital space” and “misleading information” surrounding a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling. While some experts have posited the possibility of deliberate inaction by Moroccan border guards, they also noted that it is unlikely Morocco intended to provoke a significant diplomatic conflict.

The rivalry between Algeria and Morocco is longstanding, with the Western Sahara dispute at its core. This territorial conflict dates back to Spain’s withdrawal from the region in 1975, leading to hostilities between the Polisario Front, which advocates for Sahrawi self-determination, and Morocco. Although a UN-brokered ceasefire was established in 1991, a promised referendum on the region’s future has yet to occur. While Morocco views Western Sahara as part of its territory, seeking its recognition as a semi-autonomous province, Algeria supports Sahrawi independence and backs the Polisario Front. The European Court of Justice reinforced this division by ruling that Morocco and Western Sahara are separate entities in 2024.