Watan — As the Moroccan earthquake’s aftershocks continue to reverberate, the geopolitical tremors are becoming equally palpable. Recent flight patterns of UAE planes, carrying aid to earthquake victims in Morocco, have raised eyebrows as they conspicuously avoided Algerian airspace. This move stands in stark contrast to other nations like Saudi Arabia and Qatar, whose aircrafts did not exhibit similar detours.
The avoidance of Algerian airspace by the UAE, as highlighted by flight tracking application “Flight Radar”, comes despite Algeria’s announcement that its skies are open to all aircraft on humanitarian missions to Morocco. This gesture was particularly significant given Algeria’s previous imposition of an aerial ban on Moroccan aircraft and others transiting to Morocco in September 2021.
Prominent Algerian voices have weighed in on this development. The Algerian newspaper “Al-Nahar” recently dropped a bombshell, suggesting the expulsion of the UAE ambassador from Algeria, only to retract the statement later. The paper cited the arrest of four alleged UAE spies, accused of espionage for Israel’s Mossad, as the catalyst for the diplomatic strain.
Further fueling the speculations, another Algerian daily, “Al-Khabar”, launched a scathing critique of Abu Dhabi, dubbing it the “capital of sedition”. The paper accused the UAE of acting as a conduit for Israel and leveraging its vast resources to destabilize the region, particularly targeting Algeria.
The UAE’s stance on the hypothetical scenario of a conflict between Algeria and Morocco has also been a point of contention. Reports suggest that a UAE military attaché in Algeria has been vocal about the UAE’s support for Morocco in any potential altercation with Algeria.
As the Middle East grapples with the aftermath of natural disasters, the man-made tremors of diplomatic tensions ensure that the region remains on shaky ground.