Morocco accused of orchestrating a media campaign against the Algerian army in Mali

For several days, media in Bamako have accused Algeria of having annexed part of the Malian territory. Reacting to that, the Algerian Ministry of Defense denied «the allegations made by Malian parties, claiming the presence of the National Popular Army in the Malian border locality of In Khalil and alleging that that part of the Malian territory was annexed by the Algerian Army».

The department headed by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune indicated in a press release published yesterday, that «these allegations follow the visit of a technical mission led by experts from the Geographic and Remote Sensing Service of the National People's Army accompanied by a security detachment».

The mission's objective was to «carry out work to verify the boundary markers of the Algerian-Malian border line and near the Malian border town of In Khalil. This technical mission completed its work on September 21, 2020 before leaving the premises without encountering any incident», the same statement read.

Bourita was in Mali

Immediately after the Defense Ministry statement, Algerian media accused Morocco of orchestrating the media campaign against their country's army. «The Makhzen has once again mobilized its machine to disrupt Algeria's efforts to resolve the crisis in Mali, by causing parties in neighboring Mali to sow suspicion and disseminate baseless allegations regarding the alleged presence of members of the national popular army on Malian territory», Algerian newspaper Echourouk wrote.

These accusations come in a context marked by the visit, carried out on September 29, by the Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs to Bamako. Nasser Bourita had talks with those responsible for the «transition», namely President Bah N'Daw, his vice-president Colonel Assimi Goïta, Prime Minister Moctar Ouane and religious leader Bouye Haidara, head of the Tijaniya brotherhood in Mali.

A visit that was not appreciated in Algiers, although Sabri Boukadoum went to Bamako twice : August 28 and September 20. Two trips intended to position his country as the main mediator in the new Malian crisis while the efforts of the ECOWAS delegation, led by former Nigerian President Jonathan Goodluck, are making progress. The economic sanctions imposed, in the wake of the August 18 coup, by the West African bloc could be lifted.