After days of silence, Algeria admits to killing two Moroccan-French jet skiers for 'crossing borders'

After four days of silence, Algeria has admitted to shooting dead two Moroccan-French vacationers for crossing maritime borders between the two countries.

Algeria's military ministry released their version of last week's incident events near Morocco's Saaidia beach, citing a "refusal to comply" by those killed. 

"Given the increased activity of drug trafficking gangs and organised crime in this maritime border region and the obstinacy of those riding the water scooters, coast guard personnel fired warning shots. After several attempts, shots were fired, forcing one of the water scooters to stop while the other two fled," the statement said.

The next day, an Algerian coast guard patrol recovered the body of a man with a bullet hole from a firearm, the statement said, without elaborating. Moroccan forces recovered another body, according to Moroccan media reports.

On Tuesday, 29 August, five Moroccan men riding water scooters lost their bearings while exploring the sea on jet skis. The incident was first reported on Thursday by Moroccan media.

Mohamed Kissi, a French-Moroccan,  told Moroccan news website 360. ma that he, his brother Bilal, and two friends were on vacation and riding jetskis off the shores of the Moroccan town of Saidia as the sun began to set.

"We were low on gas for the water scooters and were drifting. In the darkness, we found ourselves in Algerian waters," Kissi said.

Kissi said a boat with the Algerian forces sign fired on the group. His brother Bilal and their friend Abdelali Mechouer were killed. Their other friend, Smail Snabe, was wounded and detained by Algerian forces.

Kissi said he swam to escape until Moroccan maritime police rescued him.

'Political conflict don't justify murder'

Morocco and Algeria have closed their maritime borders since the 1990s because of long-running territorial disputes before their recent diplomatic rift in 2021. But deadly confrontations at sea are unusual.

The Moroccan government has refrained from issuing an official statement on the incident. On Thursday, Mustapha Baitass, the Moroccan government's spokesperson, said, "Such issues are among the issues that fall within the jurisdiction of the judicial authority." He didn't articulate further.

According to Morocco state news agency MAP, the public prosecutor's office in Oujda bordering Algeria has ordered an investigation into the case.

The family of two killed vacationers said it will file a complaint in France, their lawyers announced Sunday, 3 September.

The complaint will be filed "Monday or Tuesday" for "aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, hijacking of a ship and failure to assist a person in danger", said Hakim Chergui, one of the lawyers, to AFP news agency.

"The severance of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Morocco and the Algerian Republic, at the initiative of the latter, cannot justify the commission of the slightest crime and, even less, the impunity of its perpetrators," the lawyers said in a press release. 

"This is the reason why, forced by the silence of the Algerian authorities, on whose territory the assassinations took place, they have no other choice than to resort to French justice so that all the light can be shed on this drama of nameless cruelty", they added.

The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Paris is "in close contact with the families of our fellow citizens, to whom we provide all our support."

'A gross violation of human rights, regardless of the circumstances'

Morocco's Human Rights Council (CNDH), an independent organisation, said Sunday that the Algerian authorities' resort to gunfire is "a gross violation of human rights, regardless of the circumstances, especially on an unclear borderline."

"The National Council for Human Rights condemns the use of live bullets by the Algerian Coast Guard against defenceless citizens, instead of taking the initiative, as is universally recognised, to rescue and assist people lost in the sea, in flagrant violation of international standards and international human rights law," added the CNDH's press release.

The French colonisation left the borders between its former colonies mostly undefined, leading to significant conflicts between Rabat and Algiers, namely "the Sand War", the first military conflict between Morocco and Algeria. 

CNDH said it is trying to contact Algerian Human rights organisations to ensure a fair trial of the Moroccan man who was arrested and convicted in connection with the tragedy and to hand Moroccan authorities the body of the dead migrant reportedly put in an Algerian state hospital.

The leading Algerian Human Rights organisation LADDH was dissolved earlier this year, and most of its members fled the country fearing arrests.

The recent events have further fuelled anti-Algeria feelings among Moroccans, with many arguing that the neighbouring country has crossed a line and is pushing for a war in the region.