Tebboune shuts down talk of Saudi mediation with Morocco

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has made it clear that there’s no room for outside mediation, even from Saudi Arabia, to fix the frozen ties between Algeria and Morocco.

Speaking before senior army officials, Tebboune dismissed growing talk of a Saudi push to reopen dialogue between the two North African neighbors.

 “Some brothers, acting in good faith, are asking us to reopen the borders with Morocco,” he said. 

Tebboune said that the borders weren’t closed because of the Moroccan Sahara, but for other reasons. 

“Out of our 63 years of independence, they’ve been shut for more than 45 years. We have to be realistic and stop inventing lies,” he said.

His statement came shortly after back-to-back diplomatic moves that fueled speculation of renewed Saudi efforts to ease tensions. 

On October 6, Tebboune received the Saudi ambassador to Algeria, Abdullah bin Nasser Al Bussairy, who delivered a letter from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

The very next day, King Mohammed VI of Morocco welcomed Saudi Minister of State Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd, carrying a “verbal message” from the same crown prince.

The timing raised questions about whether Riyadh was attempting to act as a go-between, a role Tebboune has repeatedly rejected. 

Back in December 2022, he made his stance clear: “No country can play mediator between Morocco and Algeria.”

Relations between the two Maghreb rivals have been severed since August 2021, following years of escalating mistrust. 

Since then, cooperation between the neighbors has halted across most sectors, from trade and tourism to regional security coordination in the Sahel.

Algeria accused Rabat of “hostile acts” and interference, while Morocco pointed to Algeria’s firm backing of the Polisario Front in the disputed Western Sahara. 

Land borders remain closed, and despite various regional attempts to defuse tensions, none have succeeded.