UNESCO will witness a new chapter in the ongoing battle between Algeria and Morocco over the caftan at the beginning of next week in India. Just a few weeks ago, Algiers suffered a significant setback against Rabat at the Executive Board of the international organization. In its relentless bid to assert cultural ownership over the caftan, Algeria is veering off course, resorting to derogatory remarks against Morocco. The application submitted to UNESCO is peppered with insults typical of the rhetoric seen from Algeria's «cyber warriors» on social media and in state-controlled media, referring to Morocco as the «kingdom of Marrakech» or the «Makhzen». These terms are part of an illegitimate application to a United Nations body, yet they receive backing from Algerian diplomatic channels. The Moroccan Permanent Delegation to UNESCO highlighted in a letter that «the use of such language is unethical and constitutes a significant violation of the principles and values enshrined in the 2003 Convention». «This rhetoric underscores the explicit political hostility exhibited by Algerian authorities, who are manipulating the Convention and unjustly rallying Algerian civil society and public sentiment against the Kingdom of Morocco, thereby targeting its rich intangible cultural heritage, its history, and the longstanding identity of its communities,» states the Moroccan correspondence, dated June 19, 2025. Algiers faces a setback in November against Rabat «This overt hostility, propagated through misinformation by official Algerian media and social networks, necessitates heightened vigilance against the politicization of culture, which should ideally serve as a bridge between peoples,» the Moroccan side further elaborates. In addition to endorsements from caftan professionals, artisans, and designers, Morocco's application is bolstered by testimonials, articles, and videos from Algerians affirming the caftan's roots in Moroccan culture. These materials were all published prior to the rise of Abdelmadjid Tebboune as president and Saïd Chengriha as army chief on December 19, 2019. This date marks a pivotal shift in Algerian policy towards Morocco, characterized by the unilateral severance of diplomatic ties in August 2021, the closure of airspace, and a crackdown on Moroccans, including dual nationals, and Moroccan businesses. The dispute over the caftan is merely one chapter in this broader political strategy. Morocco's candidacy for the caftan will be evaluated next week during a session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO, scheduled from December 8 to 13 in New Delhi. Last month, Algeria faced another setback at UNESCO when its bid to join the Executive Board was rejected, while Morocco secured a seat with 146 votes, alongside Jordan (131) and Egypt (114). This defeat came just a week after Algeria's setback at the UN Security Council concerning the Sahara issue.
