The risks of confusion

One need look no further than dictatorships such as Cuba, Venezuela, Russia or China to see how other governments under military tutelage with a Soviet mentality, as in Algeria, devote resources to try to distract attention from the real problems their citizens are suffering and focus their tactics on the old trick of creating an external enemy to blame for all the ills and the dire consequences of their management. 

A little over a year ago it was Spain, after recognising that Morocco's proposal for broad autonomy for the Sahara under its sovereignty is the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the conflict. Now it is France because President Macron has gone further and recognised that the Sahara is Moroccan. 

The crisis between Algiers and Paris is at a very serious level, in all sectors, and the public confrontation shows the extent to which Algeria's drift and its initiatives to regain a leading role in Africa and try to discredit Morocco at all costs is leading it into a situation of political isolation that not even Russia, its historic ally, is capable of compensating for. Rather, on the contrary, because of the ongoing incidents in Mali. 

Algerian bloggers and activists have been expelled from France for inciting violence against opponents of the Algiers regime living on French soil. Official anger intensified in Paris after Algeria refused to receive activist Boualem Nomane, deported from France for promoting violence, terrorism and hate speech. 

Another case prompted by such cross-interests came this week with Spain's extradition to Germany of Moroccan national Youssef Al-Asrouti, suspected of having collaborated with Mohammed A., another alleged Moroccan intelligence recruit who was given a suspended prison sentence of one year and nine months in Germany for spying on Moroccan Rifian Hirak activists.

However, Youssef Al-Asrouti is known for his activity with these regional extremist circles in Europe and is a member of the faction known as ‘The Republicans’, led in Düsseldorf by Jaber Al-Ghadawi, known as ‘Youba’, who is linked to Algerian intelligence. Moreover, Al-Asrouti published a letter renouncing Moroccan citizenship and disloyalty to King Mohammed VI. 

Confusion is being fuelled to discredit the perceived enemy and third countries, such as Spain and Germany, are involved.