WESTERN SAHARA

A diplomatic dispute erupted between Algeria and Morocco at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement in New York. After Algiers called on the UN Secretary-General to urgently appoint a new envoy to Western Sahara and underscored Sahrawis’ right to self-determination, Rabat responded by calling for self-determination for Algeria’s Amazigh-speaking Kabylia region, triggering its neighbour’s ire and decision to recall its ambassador to Morocco. Crisis Group expert Riccardo Fabiani says the episode amounts to Morocco’s third diplomatic row in recent months following disputes with Spain and Germany. Algeria interprets Morocco’s support for Kabylia’s independence as a serious provocation, which is liable to further increase tensions between the two countries.