Expert: Morocco, Algeria competing to win over new French president

Morocco and Algeria are competing to win over new French President Emmanuel Macaron in the context of an historic conflict between the two countries, an Algerian security expert has said.

Karim Moulai said: “Macron, who visited Algeria on the eve of his election campaign had a large official reception, has absolved himself of responsibility for his country’s colonisation of Algeria,” noting that Macron’s policy towards Algeria “encouraged the Algerian politicians to open Algeria to French investments”.

In an interview with Quds Press, Moulai stressed that France’s economic interest now transcends all other issues and that Algeria offers many possibilities considering that it is a country that produces oil and gas and which is rich in mineral resources.

The Algerian regime seeks to win over major powers to compensate for low popularity internally.

Moulai said Morocco would be less fortunate especially with regard to the Western Sahara file, noting that Morocco and France will probably be able to coordinate on security issues especially in West Africa followed by economic cooperation.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and Algerian President, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, congratulated the new French president on Sunday.