Morocco: Tensions at the border with Algeria after a new military deployment in Figuig
The Ksar Ich region, in the province of Figuig, experienced a new deployment of the Algerian army this Thursday. The residents denounce provocations, including fires and an incursion beyond the demarcation line, without an official reaction from Rabat.
A climate of high tension is once again prevailing in this border town in southeastern Morocco. According to local sources, about thirty Algerian soldiers deployed around 4 pm, crossing about 150 meters the makeshift border established previously. Some soldiers reportedly took firing positions, causing a panic among the population, already affected by the multiplication of these incidents since the beginning of the month.
This show of force follows another critical episode that occurred the day before. On Wednesday, elements of the neighboring army allegedly deliberately set fire to trees and palm trees located inside the orchards, an area that had already been the subject of a controversial unilateral delimitation on February 4.
The escalation seems to be intensifying in this sensitive area of the province of Figuig. The movements of the Algerian troops began with an unconcerted border marking operation last week, followed on Monday by warning shots in the air. These repeated maneuvers in the immediate vicinity of Moroccan homes and farmland are fueling a growing sense of insecurity.
Faced with this series of provocations reported by civil society actors, no official communication has so far been issued by the Moroccan local or national authorities. This silence contrasts with the agitation observed on the ground, where the population of Ksar Ich is awaiting guarantees as to its security and the integrity of its lands in the face of repeated incursions.
