ALGIERS: Algeria has accused its arch-rival Morocco of killing three Algerians on a desert highway, as tensions escalate between the neighbors over the contested Western Sahara.
“Three Algerians were assassinated... in a barbaric strike on their trucks,” Algeria’s presidency said, in a statement quoted by the APS state news agency.
It reported they had been traveling between the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott northeast to the Algerian city of Ouargla.
“Several factors indicate that the Moroccan occupation forces in the Western Sahara carried out this cowardly assassination with a sophisticated weapon,” the statement added. “Their killings will not go unpunished.”
Morocco did not immediately comment on the accusations.
The Western Sahara is 80 percent controlled by Morocco, which sees the former Spanish colony, rich in phosphates and adjacent to bountiful Atlantic fishing waters, as an integral part of its own territory.
Algeria has long hosted and supported the Polisario Front, which seeks full independence there and has demanded a referendum as provided for in a 1991 cease-fire deal.
But the Polisario in November declared the truce “null and void” after Moroccan forces broke up a blockade of a highway into Mauritania, that the independence movement said was built in violation of the cease-fire.
In August, Algeria broke off diplomatic ties with Morocco citing “hostile actions” — charges Rabat dismissed.
The reported killings took place on Monday, but few details had emerged and there had been no immediate comment from Algiers or Rabat.
The Algerian statement did not specify the location of the strike.
But Akram Kharief, editor of Algerian website Mena Defense, said that “the Algerian truckers were killed in Bir Lahlou,” along a 3,500-kilometer (2,200-mile) highway that passes through part of the Western Sahara controlled by the Polisario.
Mauritania has said the deaths did not take place on its territory.
The Algerian statement did not say what weapons were used, but Morocco in September took delivery of Turkish-made Bayraktar combat drones, according to Far-Maroc, a private military news website.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the situation in Western Sahara has “significantly deteriorated” over the past year.
On Friday, the UN Security Council called for renewed peace talks, in a resolution Algeria slammed as “fundamentally unbalanced.”
Former US president Donald Trump broke with long-held diplomatic norms in 2020 to recognize Morocco’s claim to the territory, as part of a quid pro quo for Rabat’s normalization of ties with Israel.
His successor Joe Biden’s administration has not yet confirmed or rescinded the decision.
Algiers has rejected a return to roundtable talks last held in 2019 with top officials from Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario.
It argues that by avoiding bilateral talks with the Polisario, Rabat was trying to portray the conflict as a “regional, artificial” one rather than one of “decolonization.”
Algeria blames Morocco for bombing of three truck drivers: state media
https://arab.news/g8bhc
Algeria blames Morocco for bombing of three truck drivers: state media
- "Three Algerians were assassinated... in a barbaric strike on their trucks", Algeria's presidency said
- Morocco did not immediately comment on the accusations
Syrian foreign minister: National interest and the welfare of the people top priority
- Hassan Al-Shaibani highlights reconstruction efforts, internal reforms during Munich discussion
MUNICH: The Syrian Arab Republic Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani spoke on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference about the country’s ongoing recovery, internal reforms, and the impact of Israeli military actions.
“We are satisfied with the achievements we have made, but we continue striving to deliver the best for our people,” Al-Shaibani said.
“We will not tire or give up and will work day and night to build the Syria we aspire to, together with our citizens.”
In the Syrian Arab News Agency report the minister stressed that the Syrian state had not shirked its responsibility for what happened in Sweida and other areas, noting that “the national interest and the welfare of the people have always been our top priority.”
He emphasized that the diversity in Syria is a source of strength.
We live in a country exhausted by war and by the mismanagement inherited from the deposed regime.
Foreign Minister, Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani
“We share national interests, including the unity and territorial integrity of the country, and we operate within the framework of the law,” he added.
Al-Shaibani highlighted progress in rebuilding state institutions and restoring trust between the government and the public.
“We live in a country exhausted by war and by the mismanagement inherited from the deposed regime,” he said. “Syrian society remains fragmented, both inside the country and abroad, and continues to face humanitarian and infrastructure challenges.”
He emphasized that efforts to unify the country include consolidating state control over weapons, a principle established after the revolution’s victory.
The minister also highlighted the role of Syrian citizens in the recovery process.
“What we rely on is our people, who possess determination and ambition,” he said, adding that “lifting sanctions is the key to reconstruction.”
He noted that there are still displacement camps in the country and that many refugees continue to live abroad.
Turning to external issues, he expressed concern over Israeli military activity.
“Since Dec. 8, 2024, Syria has faced more than 1,000 airstrikes, the occupation of new areas in southern Syria, and over 500 ground incursions,” he said, adding that the Syrian state has pursued a realistic approach toward Israel, prioritizing reconstruction and national recovery.
He noted, however, that the policy might not have been acceptable to Israel, which “continues to seek regional conflicts.”
Al-Shaibani emphasized that negotiations should result in Israel withdrawing from the areas it occupied after Dec. 8, respecting Syrian sovereignty and airspace.
Syria’s deputy interior minister met with Germany’s interior minister on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
They discussed security developments and prospects for cooperation, according to a statement from the interior ministry.
Maj. Gen. Abdulkader Al-Tahhan held talks with German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt during the annual conference.
The Syrian Interior Ministry said the meeting included a review of current developments in Syria and their impact on security and humanitarian issues.
It added that both sides stressed the importance of coordination and information-sharing in support of regional and international stability.
The statement said the officials also discussed possible cooperation between the two interior ministries, including training, capacity-building and the exchange of expertise.
