Five Algerian ministers denounce pollution from Morocco in Tlemcen
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Bladi
Five Algerian ministers, sent by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, travelled to Tlemcen on 10 November 2026 to denounce pollution attributed to Morocco in waterways feeding the Hammam Boughrara dam. Interior Minister Brahim Merad described it as “systematic aggression”, but studies by Algerian researchers also point to industrial discharges from Maghnia, on the Algerian side, according to Bladi.
Five Algerian ministers travelled on Tuesday 10 November to the Tlemcen region, on the border with Morocco, to examine the deterioration of waterways feeding the Hammam Boughrara dam. Interior Minister Brahim Merad accused Morocco of being behind pollutant discharges and said the authorities would take measures to protect the population and the environment, according to Bladi.
Analyses presented to the delegation showed high concentrations of nitrites, a decline in dissolved oxygen, as well as heavy metals and pharmaceutical residues. Researchers from the University of Tlemcen, including Lotfi Benadda, nevertheless identified industrial, agricultural and urban inputs originating from both Maghnia, in Algeria, and Oujda, in Morocco. A university study defended in Tlemcen in September 2024 also documented domestic, industrial and agricultural discharges into the Oued El Abbès, a tributary of the Mouilah.
The delegation travelled to Tlemcen as Algiers considers measures against discharges from Morocco. The Algerian authorities were also considering referring the matter to international bodies, according to publications on 10 November.
