Algeria: Morocco did not compensate Algerians over property issue

Spokesman for the Algerian foreign affairs ministry Amar Blani Wednesday said Morocco did not respect property-related accords and refused to compensate Algerians, in response to remarks made by delegate minister of the Moroccan foreign affairs department.

“It is appropriate to remind the Moroccan minister about following data, facts and remarks,” said the Algerian minister in a written statement.

“First of all, hundreds of Algerian people were chased from Morocco and their belongings were confiscated without any compensation. Thousands of hectares of agricultural lands and hundreds of properties belonging to Algerians were nationalized without compensation. That happened on March 2^nd, 1973 when those ‘foreign properties’ were transferred to Moroccan governmental buildings. At that time, people of European and other nationalities hit by that procedure received all compensation except Algerian property owners.”

The minister also said Algeria and Morocco agreed in meetings in 2003 and 2004 on settling the property-related dispute issue on reciprocity base. “Unfortunately, those commitments remained ink on paper and were not respected by Morocco.”

“Third, the majority of Moroccans who left Algeria in the end of 1975 did not own personal properties in Algeria. They rented real-estates and lands belonging the Algerian state or a third party.”

“Fourth, I remember that former delegate minister in charge of Algerian community living abroad Ben Atallah paid a working visit to Morocco and asked authorities to deal seriously with the issue of ‘nationalized’ real-estates and lands belonging to Algerians. Unfortunately, we did not receive any reply about the request of recovering our citizen’s properties which were confiscated.”

Echorouk has learnt that Morocco is asked to give $20 billion compensation to 14,000 Algerians whose properties in Morocco were confiscated. Bilateral commissions were formed to settle the issue but the Moroccan government’s attempt to pass tailored solutions spoilt those endeavors.

Earlier on Monday, Moroccan delegate minister of the foreign affairs department said Moroccans did not give away their properties in Algeria. “They were kicked out collectively and violently. Moroccan diplomatic authorities considered the “issue of Moroccans driven out from Algeria as a priority.”