Morocco consul leaves Algeria over ‘enemy country’ remark

A spokesman for the Algerian presidency, Mohand Oussaid Belaid, announced yesterday that the Moroccan consul who described Algeria as an “enemy country” has left the country at Algiers’ request.

Last month, the Algerian Foreign Ministry summoned Moroccan Ambassador, Lahcen Abdelkhalek, to officially protest against hostile remarks made by the Moroccan consul in the city of Oran.

A video on social media allegedly showed the Consul Ahadran Boutahe calling Algeria an “enemy country” during a meeting with Moroccans stranded in Algeria due to coronavirus travel restrictions.

“The Moroccan Consul has already left our national territories after Algeria requested he be withdrawn because he had crossed his limits,” Algerian presidency spokesman said, adding that “the [consul’s] behaviour was not surprising because he is an officer in the Moroccan intelligence service”.

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