Morocco deplores Algeria's failure to respond to its reconciliation call

Morocco has deplored Algeria's failure to positively respond to the calls made by Rabat to re-consider bilateral relations. "The Moroccan government has good intentions vis-a-vis Algeria. But I do not know why the Algerian authorities did not positively respond to our efforts to re-consider our bilateral relations at all levels," Moroccan Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Youssoufi, told the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat daily.

Youssoufi repeatedly called on Algeria to re-open the borders closed down in 1994 following a terrorist attack against a luxury hotel in the Moroccan southern city of Marrakesh. Two Spanish tourists were killed in the attack, perpetrated by Algerian-born French nationals.

Subsequently, Morocco imposed entry visas for Algerians wishing to visit the Kingdom, while Algeria retaliated by closing land borders with Morocco.

Relations between the two Maghreban countries are also strained due to Algeria's direct involvement in the Sahara issue.Youssoufi said Algeria closed borders with Morocco "on the basis of erroneous information. The borders closure created difficulties for the population of eastern Morocco and western Algeria."

Morocco had proposed to Algeria to open "urgent" talks on the issue of the borders closure and on any other issue that Algiers would want to tackle. "But we received no reply," The Prime Minister said.

Touching on the internal situation in Algeria, Youssoufi said "reliable information are rare due to the complexity of the situation in the country and the proliferation of parties involved in the events."

Algeria has been prey to extremist violence since the cancellation in 1992 of the legislative elections that the now outlawed Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) was poised to win.