Algeria denies mediation to restore ties with Morocco

ALGIERS, Algeria

Algerian Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra has denied reports about mediation with Algeria to restore their diplomatic relations.

Lamamra told the state television Saturday that the crisis between Algiers and Rabat "does not tolerate mediation".

"There is no mediation, not yesterday, not today, not tomorrow," he said when asked about Saudi mediation between the two neighbors.

Moroccan media earlier suggested that Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan had discussed during his visit to Algeria on Wednesday a roadmap for reconciliation between Algeria and Morocco.

In August 2021, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco, accusing Rabat of having "hostile tendencies." Morocco dismissed the accusations.

Moroccan-Algerian ties have been tense for decades against the backdrop of the disputed Sahara region between Rabat and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar