Christianity in Algeria
Currently, North Africa is primarily Muslim: Islam is the state religion of Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia. While the practice and expression of other faiths is guaranteed by law, the same legal framework tends to restrict minority religions from actively seeking conversion to their religion, or even building or repairing churches. Converts to Christianity may be investigated and searched by the authorities as well as punished. There is some evidence that there has been an increase in conversions to Christianity among North African Muslims in recent years, even though in many cases the government will not change the religion from Islam on any citizens' identity cards. Despite this, the total number of Christians remains very low relative to the populations of these countries. In 2009, the percentage of Christians in Algeria was less than 2%. In this same survey, the UNO counted 100,000 Roman Catholics and 45,000 Protestants in the country. Although Christians are a religious minority in Algeria, churches built during French rule can still be found.
Algeria–Morocco relations
During the Algerian civil war, Algiers accused Rabat of hosting and supporting the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, an Algerian Islamist terrorist group. The charge was rapidly denied by Moroccan authorities, but the quarrel led to the border closure in 1994, after Morocco accused the Algerian GIA along with the Algerian Services of the Marrakech attack of 1994, where two Spaniards were killed. The borders are still closed, costing $2 billion yearly to the Moroccan economy. In 1999, the newly elected Algerian president Abdelaziz Bouteflika, attended Hassan II of Morocco's funeral, and declared 3 days of official mourning in Algeria for "his brother"'s death. The same year the Algerian president accused Morocco of hosting GIA bases, from which some attacks on Algerians were planned and directed. A few days later he again accused Morocco of exporting drugs into Algeria. In July 2004, the king abolished visa requirements for Algerians entering Morocco; in April 2006, Algerian President reciprocated the gesture. In 2012 Algerian prime minister Ahmed Ouyahia said border reopening was not a priority for his government. Other official declarations imply that this issue is not to be solved soon.