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In its May 21 edition, the Official Bulletin published a decree, expropriating a 23-hectare land located in the Ben Ali forest for the construction of a military base.
The news was widely reported by the media in Morocco and abroad. While it is only a small military base, its location, near the border with Algeria, has been at the center of attention. Faced with such enthusiasm and in an attempt to cut short all interpretations, the Moroccan army broke its silence to give, on May 30, «details» about the new base. The latter stressed that it is rather «a small military base intended to accommodate troops».
These explanations, however, did not convince Algeria. Two articles were dedicated by Algerian media to the same topic. Thus, daily newspaper El Khabar reserved the front page of its edition of Thursday June 18 to the topic. The article is entitled «Morocco takes the stage of the military threat from Algeria». «Maps show its readiness to build a base 38 kilometers away from the border», wrote the newspaper.
Algeria and the military barracks in Jerada
The text is also accompanied by photos showing the location of the project. These same photos were also shown in another article published by Algerian French-language daily Expression, the voice of the National Democratic Rally.
«Yesterday, well-informed security sources reported an unusual acceleration at the construction site of the Moroccan military barracks located in Jerada 38 km away from the Algerian border. Incessant columns of trucks, machines and a highly noted human presence were identified by the same sources», the newspaper wrote.
The timing of these two articles by El Khabar and Expression is not without raising questions, especially as the announcement of the Moroccan project dates back to May 21. They are part of the martial speech delivered on Wednesday, June 17 in Oran by the acting head of the Algerian army.
In fact, speaking before soldiers, Said Chengriha called for «defeating all hostile attempts, through narrowing ranks and combining national efforts, through focusing on the supreme interest of the country over narrow personal interests». In the footsteps of his mentor Gaid Salah, the general warned against the maneuvers of «hateful parties» aimed at destabilizing Algeria.
A warlike tone that sounds like an authoritarian threat in the face of the return of Hirak protests. Monday in Tinzaouatine, a commune located in the south of the country on the border with Mali, the police opened fire at a march of young protesters and one of them was killed.
