Reluctant Algeria invites rival Morocco to Arab League meet

Under apparent pressure from other Arab powers, Algeria has agreed to invite its neighbor and rival Morocco to an Arab League summit it's hosting in Algiers in November

Morocco Algeria

Under apparent pressure from other Arab powers, Algeria on Tuesday invited its neighbor and rival Morocco to an Arab League summit it's hosting in Algiers in November.

Algeria severed diplomatic ties with Morocco last year, citing hostile actions from its neighbor. The dispute between two important regional players in the Arab world had disrupted planning for the Nov. 1-2 summit.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune issued an invitation letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI to join the summit. Algerian Justice Minister Abderachid Tabi traveled to Morocco’s capital Rabat on Tuesday to hand-deliver the invitation to Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita.

The tensions between Algeria and Morocco stem largely from a dispute over the Western Sahara, a territory annexed by Morocco in 1975. Sahrawis from the Algeria-backed Polisario Front have sought independence for the region for decades.

It was not immediately clear whether the Moroccan king would accept the Algerian invitation.

The Algerian justice minister also hand-delivered invitations to other Arab countries last week.