Arms Race Escalates Between Morocco and Algeria as Military Spending Surges

The Algerian and Moroccan armies (ranked second and fifth in Africa respectively) are allocating significant funds for the acquisition of the latest military equipment, reports The Africa Report. The two countries are sourcing from different markets. Morocco has a preference for American and French weapons, while Algeria is turning to Russian-made weapons.

Last January, Morocco had acquired the Patriot air defense system from the United States. It has also acquired two Ground Master 400 radars from the French manufacturer Thales Group and seven radars from the American defense giant Lockheed Martin... Morocco has American-made F-16 aircraft. For its part, Algeria has a wide range of high-quality radar systems, such as the Russian-made Rezonans-NE and the Chinese YLC-8B. The Algerian army has also acquired Russian fighters, including Sukhoi combat aircraft with strong maneuvering capabilities.

Tensions between Morocco and Algeria have escalated in recent months. The cause is the military intervention of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) at the Guerguerat border post blocked by Polisario militiamen, to unblock road traffic to Mauritania. Algeria and its protégé, the separatist movement, have still not digested the Moroccan exploits.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has never ceased to reaffirm his support for the Polisario. "There is no solution to the Sahrawi issue outside the self-determination of the Sahrawi people. The Sahara issue is a case of decolonization," he said in his speech on the second anniversary of the Hirak. For its part, Morocco maintains its autonomy plan for the Sahara under its sovereignty.