Gaza aid enters Africa borders shut for 15 yrs

For the first time in 15 years Algeria and Morocco opened the border between them on Saturday as crowds cheered to welcome a British aid convoy that started its journey in Europe and was bound for the Gaza Strip to deliver much needed goods to the impoverished enclave.

The convoy of 100 vehicles was organized by a U.K.-based group called “Viva Palestina” and left London last week, traveling 5,000-miles through France, Spain and North Africa to cross from Egypt into Gaza through the Rafah border-crossing.

The convoy’s vehicles, led by British member of parliament George Galloway, were loaded with medicine, food, clothes and toys and were picking up more provisions on the way. The convoy is expected to reach Gaza in early March.

Gaza has been under a crippling Israeli blockade for 19 months but the situation was exasperated by the 22-day assault Israel launched on the strip, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 Palestinians and thirteen Israelis.

Solidarity with Palestinians

The hyped event took another dimension as Moroccan families planned to demonstrate to call for allowing them to enter Algeria, according to Algerians who frequently cross to Morocco illegally.

"There are attempts to gather the biggest number of families on the border to create diplomatic pressure," Algerian sources told AlArabiya.net.

For political expert Dr. Ahmed Azeemi, the gathering of Moroccan families on Moroccan soil is none of Algeria's concern as long as the reasons for closing the borders still preside.

"The exceptional opening of the borders for the relief convoy is an official expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause," he told AlArabiya.net.

The border crossing between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since 1994 after an attack on a hotel in Marrakech, which Rabat said was masterminded by Algerian secret services.

Despite the recent border opening diplomatic relations between the two North African countries remain poor as the two countries continue to focus on the disputed territory of the Western Sahara, which Morocco considers its land, while Algeria supports the Polisario Front independence movement.

The exceptional opening of the borders for the relief convoy is an official expression of solidarity with the Palestinian cause

Algerian political expert