Massive influx of Moroccans into Libya behind Algeria’s decision to freeze flights to Tripoli

A senior diplomatic source revealed to “Echorouk” that this is the massive and unusual flow of Moroccans from Casablanca bound for Libya through Algeria, noted in recent weeks, which motivated the freezing by the Algerian civil aviation of the air link between Algiers and Tripoli as from next Friday.

As a matter of fact, it is for safety and security reasons that the Algerian civil aviation, after informing the Libyan authorities and the Libyan Airlines Company, decided to suspend the air link Algiers-Tripoli to be effective as from Friday, January 29, 2016 until further notice.

The information in possession of Algerian security services spoke of a pathway aimed at allowing Moroccans to transit through Algeria to join the ranks of Daech terror group in Libya so as to strengthen terrorist nefarious capabilities there prompted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to summon the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco about this burning issue.

To this effect, the Minister for Maghreb Affairs, the African Union and the Arab League, Abdelkader Messahel, received the Ambassador of Morocco to Algeria to bring to his attention a “massive and unusual” influx of Moroccans bound for Libya via Algeria.

The same source said that in no case the frozen flights between Algiers and Tripoli were meant to undermine the fraternal relations existing between the two peoples, but it is due to the current sensitive security environment which necessitates the utmost vigilance on the part of Algeria, adding that this context requires the strengthening of security cooperation among the all countries of the sub-region.

Within a week, over 600 Moroccans wanted to transit through Algeria, most of whom had no justification to  travel to Libya, but for this time, and exceptionally, the Algerian authorities will allow the transit of those Moroccan nationals currently in Algiers, holding bona-fidé documents of residence or work in Libya itself.