Watan-The Saudi Royal Court issued a decision in favor of Morocco in the “Western Sahara” crisis with Algeria, which supports the separatist Polisario Front. The decision prohibits the use of maps that divide Moroccan territories and refrains from using the term “Western Sahara” in all Saudi institutions.
The decision text, celebrated by Moroccan media affiliated with King Mohammed VI, states: “Prohibition of using the phrase ‘Western Sahara’ or a divided map of the Kingdom of Morocco, and confirmation of the commitment of all parties to its provisions.”
Sources indicate that these instructions were directed by Saudi authorities to officials in universities, technical and vocational training institutions, the Scout Association, and all stakeholders in the fields of higher education, vocational training, electronics, and various institutions in Saudi Arabia.
What will be Algeria’s response?
Observers wonder about the expected response from Algeria after this decision, which undoubtedly increases tensions between the two countries.
A new crisis between Saudi Arabia and Algeria emerged in 2017 during a football match between the teams “Ain M’lila” and “Mascara Ghalia.” Algerian fans raised a banner featuring Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and then-U.S. President Donald Trump, which the Kingdom considered an “insult.”
The banner showed half of King Salman’s face and Trump’s face with the English phrase “two faces of the same coin,” along with an image of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the phrase “the house is ours and Jerusalem is ours” below. This sparked a significant exchange on social media between Saudis and Algerians.
The Saudi ambassador to Algeria, Sami bin Abdullah Al-Saleh, stated at the time, “We are awaiting the response of the Algerian authorities regarding the disrespectful tifo against the Kingdom.”
ما هي ردة الفعل العسكر الحاكم في #الجزائر ؟ بعد قرار #المملكه_العربيه_السعودية الشقيقة .#الصحراء_المغربية pic.twitter.com/GTpCRjHpsX
— khalidoo 🇲🇦 (@khali_d81) January 25, 2024
Moroccans React
Moroccans and Algerians widely reacted on social media to the Saudi decision, which is seen as full Saudi support for Morocco without considering the other party.
Ibrahim commented on the decision on the (X) platform, saying: “Even if all the ‘royal diwans’ and the diwans of Saturn and Mars gathered, the legal, official, and legitimate designation for this undetermined fate territory is: Western Sahara!”
He added that the system of “Al-Makhzen” (King Mohammed VI’s system) considers itself an occupier of this territory by force. The only solution to this regional dilemma lies in implementation.
Ahmed mocked the Saudi decision, writing sarcastically: “We haven’t learned yet that the headquarters of the United Nations and its affiliated institutions have moved to Riyadh in the Hijaz instead of New York in the United States, under the sponsorship of the Al Saud rulers of the Hijaz.”
It is noteworthy that in September 2017, during a match between Zambia and Algeria in the World Cup 2018 qualifiers, Algerian fans raised a counter-banner against the Kingdom.
These crises between Riyadh and Algiers bring political disputes back to the forefront, souring relations between the two countries since the 1990s due to differing positions on various Arab and regional issues, especially in Syria, Libya, and Yemen.
Moroccans expressed their reactions, with Nour al-Din writing: “A significant step taken by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after announcing a telegram directed to all foreign interests, media, and educational institutions, stating not to use the term Western Sahara or mutilated maps of Morocco.”
Nour al-Din added: “It is expected that this step will receive positive support from Gulf countries and inspire them to take similar measures.”
السعودية ترفض خريطة المغرب مجزأة
شكرا جزيلا للسعودية ملكا وشعبا على مواقفهم الصريحة
السعودية ارض الأنبياء و المغرب ارض الأولياء
فلا عجب إن يكون بين المملكتين هذا الود والإخاء
👈لنرى هل الجزائر القوة الظاربة سوف تقطع علاقاتها مع السعودية وتسحب سفيرها ام لا 🤔 pic.twitter.com/9119nZBFNZ— Leɛyun 🇲🇦 ۞ (@5_ersito) January 25, 2024
Moroccan observers thanked Saudi Arabia for the move, asking: “Will Algeria, the powerful force, sever its ties with Saudi Arabia and withdraw its ambassador or not?”
Ahmed Zaki in his comment believed that this Saudi move would not change anything on the ground, stating: “This does not change anything… Under the blows of the Polisario fighters, all countries will yield to the inevitable reality… Just as what happened in Yemen for more than five years, under the blows of the Houthi Al Saud surrendered.”
In a late 2015 incident, relations between Algeria and Saudi Arabia almost reached a dangerous stage, close to complete rupture, due to Algeria’s refusal to cooperate with Saudi Arabia in its projects to contain what it described as Shiite expansion in the Arab region and its decision to invest in disputed Sahrawi lands.
The newspaper “Morocco Intelligence” spoke in 2022 about the emergence of “new tensions in the relationship between Algeria and Saudi Arabia due to Morocco.” In a report, it noted that “things have not been going well between Algeria and Riyadh since the sudden and unexpected cancellation of the visit of the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia in late July 2022, due to Algeria’s rejection of all Saudi mediation proposals in the ‘Morocco and Sahara’ file.”