Morocco Extends Sahara Defense Wall by 50 km, Enhancing Border Security

This new wall connects the sand wall that extends from Guerguerat to the Ouarkziz massifs, and the Moroccan-Algerian borders, reports Jeune Afrique. For Abdelhamid Harifi, a researcher specializing in the defense sector, by extending this wall, Morocco wants to secure the area, which is subject to infiltrations of drug trafficking, illegal immigration, and sometimes also excesses by the Algerian army or gendarmerie. "For the past few years, Morocco has secured its borders east of Saïdia, up to Figuig. There has been a colossal investment in building barbed wire and trenches along the borders, which are equipped with an ultra-modern surveillance system," explained Abdelhamid Harifi.

According to the expert, the system would have been acquired from the French company Thalès during Sarkozy’s visit to Morocco in 2007. Now secured, a military operation in this area would be considered "a declaration of war by Algeria." "For the Polisario to reach this region, it must necessarily cross the Algerian defensive lines, and if the Polisario manages to cross them, it can only be done with Algerian blessing..." recalls Abdelhamid Harifi. "The Polisario leaders know that their militias cannot make a difference on the ground, the rest is pure internal propaganda," recalls another source within the FAR general staff.