In Figuig, Algerian Helicopter Passage Reignites Tensions

The tranquility of the Baghdad neighborhood in Figuig, an oasis of 10,400 inhabitants in far eastern Morocco, was disrupted on April 11 by the passage of two Algerian military helicopters. The former mayor of the municipality, Mustapha Lali, confirmed these observations to Jeune Afrique. He notes, however, that this type of event is not unprecedented in the province. Similar episodes have already affected local populations, notably in 2021 with the loss of palm groves at Oued Laârja, or more recently at Ksar Ich, where Algerian soldiers installed border markers in early 2026.

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The two aircraft spotted are Russian-made Mi-28NE, two-seat attack aircraft exclusively designed for combat. While no formal violation of Moroccan airspace could be established, the specialized publication Defensa mentions "unusual military activity" and describes the scene as "one of the most critical incidents recorded in recent years in this zone." True to their policy of restraint, Moroccan authorities issued no public reaction to this Algerian fleet that numbers 42 units of this type.

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This visual confrontation occurs within a context of heavy militarization on both sides of a nearly 1,600-kilometer border. Morocco continues the modernization of its Royal Air Forces with the delivery, in March 2026 to the Salé base, of six new American AH-64E Apache Guardian helicopters. This receipt brings to twelve the number of aircraft already supplied from a total order of 24 units signed in 2020. An arsenal reinforcement that testifies to the persistent high risk of conflict in this region of the continent.