Liamine Zeroual, who served as President of Algeria from 1994 to 1999, is widely associated with the closure of the country's land border with Morocco. The decision was implemented in 1994, shortly after he took office, following a terrorist attack in Marrakech for which Algeria blamed Moroccan elements. The border has remained largely sealed since, making it one of the longest-closed borders in the world.
The closure was a definitive move in the longstanding tensions between the two North African nations, which include disputes over the Western Sahara. During his presidency, Zeroual also navigated complex relations with France. In 1996, he notably canceled a planned official visit to Paris by French President Jacques Chirac, citing disagreements over Algeria's internal affairs and France's stance on the Algerian political process.
Zeroual's presidency was primarily focused on ending the Algerian Civil War through a national reconciliation policy. His tenure ended in 1999 when he stepped down, preceding Abdelaziz Bouteflika's long presidency. The Algeria-Morocco border remains closed as of 2026, with occasional high-level discussions failing to produce a reopening.
