Morocco and Algeria are fighting for the title of... "champion of African armaments"

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) places Morocco 29th among arms importers, behind Algeria ranked 21st. The kingdom imported 0.8% of the total global arms imports between 2019 and 2023, compared to 1.4% during the 2014-2018 period, a decrease of about 46%. According to the SIPRI report, the United States are Morocco’s main suppliers, with 69%. They are followed by France with 14%, and Israel with 11%. As for Algeria, it imported 1.1% of the total global arms imports against 4.8% between 2014 and 2018. With 48%, Russia remains its main arms supplier. It is followed by Germany (14%) and China, also 14%.

According to the institute’s statistics, arms imports to Morocco and Algeria may increase this year. Since the cooling of their relations, the two countries have embarked on a frantic arms race. Algeria has allocated $21.6 billion to its army, compared to $12 billion in 2023. As for Morocco, it is devoting $12.47 billion to its army in the 2024 budget, compared to $12 billion in 2023.

Arms imports by African countries "decreased by 52% between the 2014-2018 and 2019-2023 periods, mainly due to the reduction in arms imports by the region’s largest importers, Algeria (-77%) and Morocco (-46%)," the institute also points out.