Former Algerian president vows to militate for reopening of Moroccan-Algerian borders

Former Algerian president, Ahmed Ben Bella, vowed to fight for "the re-opening of Moroccan-Algerian land borders," closed in 1994 after it was established that a group of Algerian-born nationals were involved in the shooting of a luxury hotel in Marrakech.

Ben Bella, who was quoted by Algerian daily El-Watan argued that the protracted conflict between the two neighbor countries is an inheritance of French colonialism. The two Maghreb states are at odds over Algeria's direct involvement in the Sahara issue, by extending the separatist group political and diplomatic backing.

Morocco lifted the entry visa-requirement for Algerian nationals but Algeria failed to reciprocate.

The former Algerian president who regretted the continuation of the conflict had stressed in a previous interview with Qatar-based Al Jazeera TV channel "nothing can separate us from our Moroccan brothers," recalling how Moroccans stood by Algeria during the liberation war.