Morocco mobilises to help after Algiers attacks

12/12/2007

From average citizens to high-ranking officials, Moroccans roundly condemned Tuesday's attacks in Algiers. They see the tragedy as a call for Morocco and Algeria to co-ordinate counter-terrorism efforts.

By Sarah Touahri for Magharebia in Rabat – 12/12/07

[Getty Images] King Mohammed VI said terrorism is "alien to the religion and culture of the people in the region and condemned by both religion and the law".

Moroccans have roundly condemned the double terrorist attack which struck Algiers on Tuesday (December 11th). Immediately following the event, King Mohammed VI sent a message of sympathy to Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and reiterated his total support for Algeria's efforts to eradicate terrorism and all who support it.

The Moroccan head of state said his country remains willing to help Algeria deal with the scourge which, he said, is "alien to the religion and culture of the people in the region and condemned by both religion and the law."

The threat of terrorism continues to hang over the region, particularly the Sahel, where organised crime and terrorism have seen a resurgence. The area has become a breeding ground for al-Qaeda after the former Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) announced that it would be joining forces with the terrorist network and adopting terrorism plans for all countries in the region. The Moroccan government says co-operation between the Maghreb countries is therefore essential to fighting terrorism.

Justice and Development Party representative Lahcen Daoudi spoke to Magharebia of his complete condemnation of the terrorist attacks in Algiers. "An attack which targets innocent people is to be condemned in the strongest terms. Co-operation between the two countries is essential to serve the interests of both peoples," he said.

National Secretary of the Front of Democratic Forces Thami El Khyari agreed, saying the attacks are a call for Moroccans and Algerians to co-ordinate efforts to counter the scourge and guarantee stability for their people.

Average citizens also expressed sympathy for their Algerian neighbours. With one voice, they spoke out against the terrorist onslaught in recent years.

Charaf Mohammed, an engineer and trade unionist, said he was "astonished, like all Moroccans and North Africans, to see people like us blowing themselves up to kill innocent human beings." He said the solution lies in greater democracy for the countries of the Maghreb: "Neither terrorism nor repression will turn the Maghreb into a region of prosperity and peace."

Chourouk Maâtaoui, a teacher, said it is time for Morocco and Algeria to forget their differences and to make the fight against terrorism a shared top priority and to destroy the curse of terrorism from the roots up. "Co-operation between the two countries on this issue is not enough. Without Maghreb states combining their efforts, this curse will continue to claim further innocent victims," he said.