Algeria declares Moroccan diplomat 'persona non grata'

Algeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Moroccan embassy in Algiers on Thursday that it has declared Mohamed El-Sufiani, deputy chief of the Moroccan Economic Mission in Oran, "persona non grata."

According to an official statement, El-Sufiani has been ordered to leave Algeria within 48 hours due to "suspicious activities incompatible with his diplomatic duties," in violation of national laws and international norms, including the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. The statement did not provide further details on the matter.

This move highlights the escalating diplomatic tensions between Algiers and Rabat, which have been strained in recent years due to regional disputes, particularly over the Western Sahara issue.