In Algeria, the border with Morocco, an annoying taboo

The Boualem Sansal affair, this Algerian writer imprisoned for having evoked the past extent of the Moroccan kingdom, rekindles tensions between Algeria and Morocco. An episode which highlights the complexity of relations between these two countries, marked by a colonial heritage and persistent territorial disputes.

If the notion of border in Africa is relatively recent, the question of its limits has always been a source of conflict, recalls La Croix. Before French colonization, the territorial contours between Algiers and Rabat were fluctuating, often redefined by the balance of power and dynastic alliances. Morocco notably experienced a period of expansion which could extend to territories that are now Algerian.