Problems for Moroccan date farmers - 31st March 2021

This is Figuig in Morocco, Africa. The town is very close to Algeria.

Many farmers live in Figuig. They grow dates. Dates are fruit from trees.

The farmers live in Morocco. The date trees are in Algeria. The farmers have to cross the border. They go into Algeria. They look after the trees.

Now, the farmers have a problem. Algeria closed the border. It sent soldiers to the border. The soldiers are stopping the farmers at the border. The farmers can't get to their trees in Algeria.

Algeria and Morocco disagreed about borders in the past too. In 1975, Morocco took control of the Western Sahara. The Western Sahara is a country next to Morocco and Algeria.

The Sahrawi people come from the Western Sahara. They want Morocco to leave. The Sahrawi say the Western Sahara is their country. They want to live in the Western Sahara.

Many people agree with the Sahrawi. Algeria agrees with the Sahrawi. But Morocco disagrees. It says the Western Sahara is part of Morocco. The disagreement makes problems between Algeria and Morocco.

Now, these problems are hurting Moroccan farmers. The farmers need their dates. They make money from the dates. But they can't go into Algeria. They can't pick their dates.