Figuig: First Official Statement on the Situation in “El Arja”

Authorities have issued a release about the situation in the Moroccan-Algerian border area, near Figuig.

The province of Figuig published a press release on this subject on Tuesday March 16 at the end of the day.

The statement recognizes the existence of the problem and affirms that the measures taken by the Algerian authorities are temporary and cyclical. It further concludes that the local authorities are studying the file and developing formulas likely to resolve the problems arising from this situation, considering all options.

Here is the text of the press release:

“On Tuesday March 16, 2021, the governor of Figuig region held a meeting with farmers of the agricultural land located in the area called “Al-Arja” in the presence of the land representative of the Soulalyia community “Oulad Slimane” and members of the council of this community.

“This meeting was devoted to studying the situation of the agricultural land located north of Oued AL Arja, on the Moroccan-Algerian border, after the temporary and cyclical decision taken by the Algerian authorities to prohibit access to this area from the 18th of this March.

“In his intervention, the governor of the province of Figuig indicated that this meeting was devoted to examining the possible solutions to mitigate the repercussions of the above-mentioned decision on the operators of these agricultural lands, stressing that the provincial authority, in coordination and ongoing consultation with the representative bodies of the Soulaliya community and the operators of these agricultural lands, and the operators of agricultural land concerned by the decision of the Algerian authorities, remains mobilized to study and develop solutions that take into account all the options.

“This meeting is part of a series of meetings organized by the provincial and local authorities of the region of Figuig with representatives of Oulad Slimane and the farmers of agricultural lands located in the region “Arja”.