Algeria vowed to immediately close its airspace to all Moroccan aircraft because of developments on its border and “hostile acts,” deepening a feud after the country cut diplomatic ties with its neighbor last month.
“The High Security Council has decided to immediately close Algeria’s airspace to all Moroccan civilian and military aircraft as well as those bearing a Moroccan registration number,” official news agency APS said.
The severing of ties in August plunged decades of difficult relations between the North African neighbors to their lowest point since the 1970s, escalating tensions in a region already mired in disarray. Among the issues are Algeria’s allegations of Moroccan support for separatists and a dispute over the Western Sahara region that Morocco claims.
Algeria took the decision on its airspace after a meeting of its High Security Council, the Presidency said in a separate statement.