King Mohammed VI, Minister Bourita Launch Coordinated Attack on Algeria, Sending a Cryptic Warning to Trump of Potential War

BY: Dr. Hana Saada

Algiers, Algeria | November 13th, 2024 — In a series of calculated and provocative moves, the Moroccan regime has, once again, sought to deflect attention from its own failures by launching a rhetorical assault on Algeria. Within a mere three days, King Mohammed VI and Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita attacked Algeria from both the highest sovereign institutions, reinforcing the belief that the Kingdom of Morocco is once again attempting to manipulate the international narrative surrounding the Western Sahara conflict.

At the heart of these latest statements lies Morocco’s growing frustration with its inability to secure an unambiguous victory in the Western Sahara dispute—a conflict that Morocco has long presented as a matter of national pride. Despite years of vocal diplomatic efforts and mounting pressure, the regime has not succeeded in gaining international recognition for its illegal annexation of the territory, a fact that has now driven Morocco to desperate measures.

Bourita’s comments—made during the presentation of Morocco’s 2025 budget before the Foreign Affairs, Defense, Islamic Affairs, and Migration Committee of the Moroccan Parliament—served as a thinly veiled threat, accusing Algeria of wanting to escalate tensions into a full-blown military conflict. Citing “indicators” from Moroccan media outlets, Bourita warned that Algeria might provoke war in the region, painting the situation as one of imminent danger.

What Bourita conveniently neglected to mention, however, is the deep legal setback Morocco has suffered in recent years regarding the status of Western Sahara. The European Court of Justice’s landmark ruling, which affirmed that Morocco has no sovereignty over the disputed territory, dealt a devastating blow to the Moroccan regime’s claims. This legal decision, which trumps political posturing, underscores the international community’s growing unwillingness to recognize Morocco’s occupation. Yet, Bourita’s rhetoric continues to operate in a parallel universe, completely detached from the legal realities unfolding on the ground.

King Mohammed VI’s own incendiary remarks—delivered just days before Bourita’s comments—highlighted the Moroccan monarchy’s increasingly erratic approach to managing the Western Sahara issue. On November 6, 2024, the King accused Algeria of “exploiting” the Western Sahara issue to mask its own domestic problems, a statement that has been ridiculed both in Algeria and within Morocco itself. Social media in both countries erupted in criticism, with many pointing to Morocco’s own mounting social and economic crises, including widespread poverty, crippling unemployment, and a housing catastrophe that has left millions of Moroccans struggling to meet basic needs.

Far from accepting responsibility for its own shortcomings, the Moroccan regime has continued to project its internal issues onto Algeria, a country that has long championed the rights of the Sahrawi people and their quest for self-determination. The King’s remarks also served to distract from the economic turmoil in Morocco, which continues to spiral as the country grapples with runaway inflation, rising costs of living, and growing discontent among its citizens.

The hypocrisy in these statements is glaring. In the same speech, King Mohammed VI called for the self-determination of the Sahrawi people but simultaneously dismissed the United Nations’ long-standing position on the issue, which remains committed to holding a referendum on self-determination for Western Sahara. This blatant contradiction further exposes Morocco’s duplicity on the international stage, where it simultaneously seeks to portray itself as a champion of democracy while denying the Sahrawi people their most fundamental rights.

At the core of these recent attacks on Algeria lies an urgent and calculated message to the international community, specifically to the incoming U.S. administration under President Donald Trump. Morocco’s Foreign Minister appears to be sending a clear signal to Washington, highlighting the potential for conflict in the Mediterranean region. This calculated diplomacy seeks to exploit Trump’s administration’s historical aversion to military conflicts and frame the Western Sahara issue as one that could destabilize the broader region. By aligning itself with U.S. interests, Morocco hopes to gain leverage over the ongoing dispute, but this tactic is as transparent as it is cynical.

The reality, however, is that the Western Sahara conflict is not a bargaining chip to be used in geopolitical maneuvering. It is a longstanding issue of decolonization, self-determination, and justice. Morocco’s reliance on diplomatic bluster and media posturing will not change the facts on the ground: the Sahrawi people continue to demand their right to self-determination, and the international community remains largely unpersuaded by Morocco’s baseless claims.

The question now is whether the international community, and particularly the United Nations, will continue to allow Morocco to manipulate the narrative surrounding Western Sahara or whether it will take a firm stand against these aggressive tactics. The silence in the face of such rhetoric only emboldens Morocco to pursue its dangerous agenda of subverting international law and justice.

For the Sahrawi people, this conflict is not about diplomatic victories or strategic alliances. It is about a fundamental right—one that Morocco continues to deny them despite the mounting international consensus that the occupation of Western Sahara must end. The rhetoric coming out of Morocco is nothing more than a desperate attempt to distract from the deepening crisis facing the regime and to avert attention from the legal and moral failings that continue to define its position on the Western Sahara issue.

In conclusion, Morocco’s most recent diplomatic offensive—blaming Algeria and threatening war—does not alter the reality of the situation in Western Sahara. It only further isolates Morocco from the truth and exposes the fragility of its political stance. The international community must not be swayed by these tactics, but instead must continue to uphold the principles of justice, self-determination, and international law. The world is watching, and history will not look kindly on those who attempt to rewrite it with words alone.

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