Morocco-Algeria Tensions Rise After Algeria Kills 2 Moroccan Tourists at Sea

In a deadly incident last Tuesday, the Algerian coast guard fired on a group of Moroccan tourists who accidentally entered Algerian waters on their Jet Ski-like personal watercraft, killing two and sparking outrage in Morocco.

The two men killed were cousins vacationing in the Moroccan coast town of Saaidia: Bilal Kissi, 29, a French-Moroccan dual citizen, and Abdelali Mechouar, 40, a Moroccan citizen and resident of France. The group also included Bilal’s brother Mohamed, who explained that the group drifted into Algerian territory after running low on gas.

The Algerian Ministry of National Defense released a statement confirming the incident and reporting that they later recovered Mechouar’s body.

“Given the increased activity of drug trafficking gangs and organized crime in this maritime border region and the obstinacy of those riding the water scooters, coast guard personnel fired warning shots. After several attempts, shots were fired, forcing one of the water scooters to stop, while the other two fled,” the statement read.

Meanwhile on Monday, Moroccan human rights activists protested outside the parliament building in Rabat, demanding accountability for the killing and calling Algeria a “military regime.” The Moroccan National Council for Human Rights also denounced the incident as a “severe violation of international standards and human rights laws.”

The Moroccan Association for Citizenship and Human Rights went even further, with its president, Idris Sedrouai, calling it a “deliberate and premeditated assassination” and warning of bringing an international case against the Algerian military.

The neighboring countries have no diplomatic relations and a closed maritime border due to simmering tensions over the control of Western Sahara.