Report: Morocco Holds Military Edge Over Algeria in Potential Conflict, Experts Say

In this report entitled "Strategic Atlas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East", the FMES experts mention the tensions between Algeria and Morocco and the risk of armed conflict due to "the historical rivalry between the two countries and the Sahara conflict". In the event of a confrontation, Rabat would have the advantage on the ground, as it would benefit from the support of its American and Israeli partners, warn the experts of the Foundation.

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"Morocco would have no interest in a ground confrontation in the south, where the nature of the terrain would offer a clear advantage to the Algerian forces trained in flat terrain combat," the experts analyze, noting that a confrontation on mountainous terrain would on the other hand be favorable to the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, who could also launch drone attacks.

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In the air, the FMES experts agree on the hypothesis of "mutual vulnerability" between the two countries. "In the event of a major confrontation, Morocco’s strategy would probably be to conduct a conventional defense, asymmetric actions on Algerian territory and a media war. In the end, the most likely scenario remains that of recurrent border clashes between Algeria and Morocco," the experts conclude.