However, in November 2020, following the reopening of the Guerguerat border crossing with Mauritania, occupied by Sahrawi troops, clashes broke out between the Sherifian kingdom and the Polisario Front, threatening the cease-fire put in place in 1991. On May 18, 2021, the government classified the pro-independence Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylia (MAK) as a terrorist organization after a meeting of the High-Security Council (HCS). But the fundamentals remain the same: political contradictions between the two regimes, rein? He invaded the country in 1963. [21], In 1956 France relinquished its protectorate in Morocco, which immediately demanded the return of the disputed departments, especially Tindouf. November 2020 unleashed pandora's box following the military intervention in Guerguerat and Washington's recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara. This agreement wasmuch to Algeria's dismay as it has been a firm supporter of the local Polisario Front with the Sahrawi group that seeks independence for the region. Although Rabat is more open to dialogue than its neighbour Algiers, mediation is at a standstill. Besides, he is currently a political analyst with Moroccan, American, Gulf, French, Italian and British media on politics and culture in the Middle East, Islamism and religious terrorism. They will therefore do everything to avoid pressure from the international community. [28] They also suspected that Washington was hoping the war would precipitate Ben Bella's downfall, which Castro was determined to prevent. The main culprit? At first glance, it is easy to believe that they are similar in every way. Moroccan King Mohammed VI urges Algeria to put aside the differences between the two neighbours and open a new page in their relations. [38] The United Nations received many pleas to issue a ceasefire appeal, but Secretary-General U Thant wanted to allow regional initiatives to pursue a solution. Algerian authorities suspected that Morocco was inciting the revolt, while Hassan was anxious about his own opposition's reverence for Algeria, escalating tensions between the nations. The two countries summoned each others ambassadors. Even the Front des Forces Socialistes(FFS), the oldest opposition party in Algeria, recalls that the unity of Algeria is a red line that no one can cross under any pretext, and that Kabylia is an integral part of the land of Algeria and states that this is a desperate attempt to strike at the unity of Algeria and sow discord among the Algerian people united and proud. But without strong evidence, I think they would be hard pushed to launch some kind of military attack in response," Gower said. [24] Ben Bella's fledgling administration was still attempting to rebuild the country after the enormous damage caused by the Algerian War and was already pre-occupied with an insurgency by the FFS led by Hocine At Ahmed opposed to Ben Bella's autocratic rule. [29], Despite internal discontent with the Algerian government, most of the country supported the war effort, which Algerians generally perceived as an act of Moroccan aggression. The two countries signed a two-phase border demarcation and good-neighbourliness treaty in 1969 and 1972 as a culmination of the end of the war and the border dispute. [36] Its forces included twenty-two T-34 tanks, eighteen 120-mm mortars, a battery of 57-mm recoilless rifles, anti-aircraft artillery with eighteen guns, and eighteen 122mm field guns with the crews to operate them. That's why debates like Goku vs. Superman, Link vs. Algiers is therefore calling for action by the major powers, particularly those with a seat on the UN Security Council, to enforce the law in this crisis. Morocco vs Algeria Military Comparison 2022 | Who Would Win?Morocco vs Algeria military power comparison 2022Algeria vs Morocco military power comparisonAlgeria vs Morocco military comparisonAlgeria vs Morocco military power Morocco military power comparison 2022 Algeria military power comparison 2022Algeria vs Morocco army power military power comparison 2022 Morocco vs Algeria military power 2022Morocco vs AlgeriaWorld Military Loop Algeria vs MoroccoAlgeria vs Morocco MilitaryAlgeria vs Morocco military power Morocco military power comparison 2022Algeria military power comparison 2022#Morocco#Algeria#military#millitary_Comparison#millitaryComparison Here are the most prominent tensions between the two countries over the past decades: Algeria and Morocco confronted each other militarily over a border dispute in the so-called Sand War in October 1963 following Algerias independence on July 5, 1962. Rising tensions between the two countries could tarnish the picture in the eyes of the international community, or at least raise its concern. Morocco maintains its programme of strategic alliances and its projection on five continents intact. In the 1890s, the French administration and military called for the annexation of the Tuat region. [23] The following year the two leaders set up a commission to demarcate the border and examine prospects for joint efforts to mine iron ore in the disputed region. The day after Canal Algerie, the country's main public broadcaster, finally mentioned Morocco and displayed its red flag with green star after their quarterfinal win against Portugal, the director . [37] While Castro had hoped to keep Cuba's intervention covert, and a number of the Cuban personnel wore Algerian uniforms, they were observed by French military and diplomatic staff in Oran and word of their presence soon leaked to the Western press. The Algerian government expressed its deep concern on this issue, considering these actions as an inadmissible systematic violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms which also constitutes a flagrant violation of the principles and norms governing international relations, and automatically attacked Morocco without any substantial evidence: Algeria expresses its deep concern over the revelations made by a consortium of several media bodies with a high professional reputation and revealing the widespread use by the authorities of some countries, and notably Morocco, of a spyware called Pegasus to spyon Algerian officials and citizens, as well as journalists and human rights defenders worldwide.. Rabat turns to US and French suppliers, while Algiers sticks with Russian-made military goods. We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us. Since 13 November 2020, the day the Moroccan army "secured . [4] In case of war or state of siege, an additional force of 150,000 Reservists[citation needed] and paramilitary forces, including 24,000 regulars of the Royal Moroccan Gendarmerie and 30,000 Auxiliary Forces come under the Ministry of Defense command.. About Morocco Army Arabic :The Royal Moroccan Army (Arabic: ) . 215 195 20 . But before this last step, there are others through which Algeria or Morocco defends its vital interests. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statutes that might otherwise be infringing. Please try again or choose an option below. Algeria does the same, and talks with its allies that revolve largely around the Western Sahara issue, as well as negotiations with countries focused on the sale of hydrocarbons, gas and oil, are not at all affected by the crisis with Morocco. So far, no mediation has been successful, but both capitals do not close their doors to mediators. Moroccos ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, called for the independence of the Kabyle people in Algeria during a meeting of non-aligned countries. It is the direct successor of the National Liberation Army (ALN), the armed wing of the nationalist National Liberation Front, which fought French colonial rule during the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962).The People's National Army include the Algerian Land Forces, the Algerian Air Force, the Navy (the Marine de la Rpublique Algrienne), and the Algerian Air Defence Force. About Algeria Army Arabic : (: : : ) . Give yourself a headstart: Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have never been as tense in 45 years. The Polisario Front fought a long war against Morocco to win the independence of the disputed Western Saharan territory. Nations are listed by their formal names in alphabetical order (A-to-Z). [40], The OAU mediated a formal peace treaty on February 20, 1964. On the contrary, it became a socialist country and joined the leading countries of Third Worldism. Zunes, Stephen (1995). The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. And it does not help that Algiers embarked on an anything but brotherly arms race some 15 years ago that spurred Rabat to do the same, with Algeria buying up Russian-made military gear and Morocco turning to Western weapons suppliers. Countries similar in appearance but heterogeneous in fact. Not a week goes by without the Front, systematically relayed by Algeria Press Service (APS), announcing an attack against the Moroccan defense wall, without it being possible to distinguish the part of reality and intoxication. The Moroccan UNFP and the Algerian-Berber FFS of At Ahmed both suffered as a result of this. Morocco, in turn, has been receiving about 10% of its gas supply as compensation. Even within the African Union, Algerias virtual monopoly on the Peace and Security Council, which previously gave the country a platform where it could discuss the Sahrawi question whenever the pan-African institution convened, is a thing of the past. [13] Beyond that there is only one border area, without limit, punctuated by tribal territories attached to Morocco or Algeria. Non- profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.================Chapters :0:00 Primary Information01:16 Land Power02:48 Air Power04:14 Naval Power05:15 End Attention These results are not 100% accurate. READ MORE Morocco/Algeria : Tensions on the rise after Algerian show mocks the King. The troops provided training to the Algerians, and their medical team offered the population free healthcare. In this regard, Henry Kissinger, the American diplomat, and political scientist wrote of Morocco that it has been, for a century at the intersection of the great strategies of foreign powers, which forces its leaders to maneuver with art, subtlety, and authority.. [32], French sources reported Algerian casualties to be 60 dead and 250 wounded,[6] with later works giving a number of 300 Algerian dead. "Algeria, The Maghreb Union, and the Western Sahara Stalemate. Answer (1 of 5): It depends on who starts the war, however Portugal and morocco arent enemies, they have no current conflict. It is now on the military terrain that this almost fifty-year antagonism between the two enemy brothers is unfolding. The Algerian and Moroccan militaries rank second and fifth in Africa, respectively, and shell out dizzying sums to acquire the latest equipment. Progress on the issue has been at a standstill ever since Morocco and the Polisario Front signed a cease-fire agreement in 1991, but Rabat recently scored a few diplomatic wins, such as the United States' move to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the territory in late 2020. "There might be some effort to whip up support domestically and to try and create an enemy which therefore empowers the Algerian elite and the regime again. We were driven to a senseless war in 1982, when a drunkard sent our armed forces to fight for two insignificant territories in the South AtlanticAlgeria and Morocco have a long feud. [38] On October 29, Hassan and Ben Bella met to negotiate in Bamako, Mali, joined by Emperor Selassie and Mali's President Modibo Keta. Then-Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika attended the funeral of King Hassan II, who died on July 23, 1999, in Morocco as an attempt to mend the relations between the two Arab countries. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to portions of Algeria's Tindouf and Bchar provinces. Morocco controls 80% of the Western Sahara, Algeria supports the independence movementPolisario Front. The desire to adopt the European model is such that Morocco even went so far as to apply for membership in the European Union in 1984. The Moroccan kingdoms proactive approach to diplomacy within African institutions has led, in a little over a year, several African countries to open consulates in Western Sahara. Though Algerias official press service, Algrie Presse Service, routinely picks up these stories, they are a perplexing mix of fact and fiction. Since then, relations between Algeria and Morocco have been going downhill withambassadors being recalled,borders closed, accusations for sparking forest fires being thrown around,airspaces being blocked and the killing of three Algerian truck drivers adding fuel to the fire. [32] The Algerians attacked the town of Ich on October 18, enlarging the war to the North. I think the Moroccans would win do their larger military force, the portuges. o The media campaigns being waged in both countries, laden with accusations and insults, are more about the need to divert public attention from the real internal problems that exist in each country, caused by the effects of the pandemic, the growing socio-economic difficulties or the poor management of the economy, which is one hundred percent dependent on oil in the Algerian case, and on tourism and agriculture in the Moroccan case. Complete the form and download, for free, the highlights from The Africa Reports Exclusive Ranking of Africas top 200 banks from last year. The construction of the Maghreb must now be understood, more modestly, as a simple harmonization of traditionally competitive economies, and the development of more coherent diplomacy in a certain number of areas, particularly in relation to the European Union. But the war is affecting the wider region in ways that are undeniablemost notably by feeding the rivalry between Morocco and. However, Ben Bella suspended the attack in order to proceed with negotiations to end the war peacefully. More important is though, that the "Moroccan King Mohammed VI. As for Algeria, it is, also, an important partner of the European Union, but it is deeply marked by its history of a long period of French colonization (1830-1962). [16], The French 19th Army Corps' Oran and Algiers divisions fought the At Khabbash, a fraction of the At Ounbgui khams of the At Atta confederation. The war began on the night of October 31, 1954. These revelations have caused widespread outrage in Algeria, especially on social networks. Moreover, Morocco is one of the Unions main partners throughout the Mediterranean. [34] The troops were sent at the request of Ben Bella, though he would later deny this in 1997. The protest ended with the burning of the Algerian flag. READ MORE This year's AU could work to Morocco's advantage over Western Sahara. In addition, Morocco has been keen on mending ties with various European countries, among them Germany, after several fallouts in the past year. [27] Its logistics was also complicated by its vast array of largely obsolete weapons from a number of diverse sources, including France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and the United States. [4] The unit was made up of 686 men under the command of Efigenio Ameijeiras. [39] The meeting would be held to set up a commission to determine who was responsible for starting the war and to examine the frontier question and suggest methods for bringing about a lasting settlement of the conflict. In the case of UNFP, its leader, Mehdi Ben Barka, sided with Algeria, and was sentenced to death in absentia as a result. The Western Sahara conflict. But regional instabilities, in Libya and the Sahel in particular, are putting a lot of pressure on both countries, and are also contributing to the escalation of tensions. In reality, Morocco, playing on its Arab and Muslim membership on the one hand the Sherifian monarch being legitimate on the religious level acts as the EUs good pupil in the Maghreb by adhering to its principles and maintaining cordial relations with European countries. Against the backdrop of the dispute over Western Sahara, relations between Algiers and Rabat have recently deteriorated further. Simply use the dropdowns below to select your global powers. On the Moroccan side, Rabat denied such baseless allegations and declared that it has undertaken to sue the consortium behind the investigation for defamation before the criminal court in Paris. Despite a truce in 1991, both sides have been at loggerheads for years. They are based on google searches and volume search and are for entertainment purposes. By downloading this PDF you agree to subscribe to The Africa Report Daily newsletter, This year's AU could work to Morocco's advantage over Western Sahara, Morocco/Algeria : Tensions on the rise after Algerian show mocks the King, Morocco/Algeria: Western Sahara conflict shows signs of escalation, Morocco/Algeria: The armed forces behind the Western Sahara conflict, Morocco/Algeria: Military leaders in the shadows, Morocco/Algeria: Jeune Afrique, a magazine caught between two mortal enemies. [26], The Algerian military, recently formed from the guerrilla ranks of the FLN's Arme de Libration Nationale (ALN), was still oriented towards asymmetric warfare, and had few heavy weapons. After Morocco became a French protectorate in 1912, the French administration set borders between the two territories, but these tracks were often misidentified (Varnier line in 1912, Trinquet line in 1938), and varied from one map to another,[19] since for the French administration these were not international borders and the area was virtually uninhabited. During the Cold War, the late King Hassan II used this conflict as an instrument, drawing a parallel between the Western Sahara conflict and the confrontation between East and West, citing Algerias ideological proximity to the USSR. A presidential statement confirms that Tebboune had given the order to not renew the contract "in light of the hostile behavior of the (Moroccan) kingdom which undermines national unity.". Clearly, neither Algeria nor Morocco wants an open conflict with inevitably catastrophic consequences for both countries. The severance of diplomatic relations with Morocco announced on August 24, 2021, came against a backdrop of vulnerability for the Algerian regime, which has not stopped denouncing plots against Algeria since the Arab revolts of 2011. Western Sahara is an integral part of Morocco for Rabat. [7], The Sand War laid the foundations for a lasting and often intensely hostile rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, exacerbated by the differences in political outlook between the conservative Moroccan monarchy and the revolutionary, Arab nationalist Algerian military government. Relations between the two North African states have been marred by several crises since their independence, particularly the 1963 Sand War, the . But if the myth of a united Maghreb is still alive, it no longer covers the same realities. However, no matter how you look at it, there are no winners anymore. The review of relations referred to in the HCS statement risks including restoration of travel visas between the two countries and a reduction in economic cooperation at a time when both markets need more opportunities. Morocco is more liberal and attached to Europe. Please enable Javascript in order to access to this story. Western Sahara is today the burning issue between Morocco and Algeria. Solar panel initiatives are already up and running but Morocco isfar from being energy-sufficient enough to cover such a loss. [28] Morocco also possessed modern strike aircraft, while Algeria did not. Medgaz was the backup plan. Since 1975, the dominant issue between the two countries has been the conflict in Western Sahara.After the former colonial power Spain withdrew its forces and handed control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania, Algeria threw its support behind the local Sahrawi people's claims for self-determination and the Polisario movement fighting on their behalf. In this video, we have compared the military of the two countries. Foreign chancelleries in the two capitals of the central Maghreb, Rabat and Algiers, are insistently questioning the possibility of war between Algeria and Morocco, which some believe could break out in 2022. Algeria accused Rabat of inciting Tel Aviv against it. Part of the Military Factory network of sites that includes, 2023 www.GlobalFirepower.com All Rights Reserved Content 2006-2023 (17yrs). Beyond the vast opportunity manifest in African markets, we highlight people who make a difference; leaders turning the tide, youth driving change, and an indefatigable business community. And in a deal brokered by the US, the kingdom agreed to resume diplomatic relations with Israel, a long-standing taboo for Algeria which also happens to be the Polisario Fronts main backer. The Western Sahara question has poisoned more than just Moroccan-Algerian relations. Answer (1 of 8): As ArgentineI would advise two neighboring nations such as Morocco and Algeria NOT to go to war. Morocco is represented in Algeria by an embassy and consulate general in Algiers, as well as two consulates in Oran and Sidi Bel Abbs. Simply use the dropdowns below to select your global powers. But the visit was cancelled at the last minute with Rabat saying the time was not right, a gesture Algeria called an insult. Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. A preamble recognized that Algeria had fallen behind other Arab . There is no longer any question today of establishing institutional links between the three major countries i.e. Relations between Morocco and Algeria are historically difficult and cold. [23] However, Hassan was reluctant to authorise it, fearing that another battle would prompt further military intervention from Algeria's allies. Could the situation descend into a full-blown conflict? Algeria said . Welcome to the next big thing; WhoWouldWinAFight.com (WWWAF.com), the best online resource for determining - once and for all - who would win in a fight. The latter mentioned in particular stealth drones it is understood that they were supplied by Israel to Morocco which would have spread the fires in Kabylia. [28] Ironically, at least four AMX-13s had also been donated by Morocco a year earlier. Tensions between the two neighboring North African countries have been growing, and Algeria's rhetoric points towards an armed conflict. Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have never been as tense in 45 years. In order to understand what is at stake, it is worth reflecting on several points: - First, for there to be a war, there must be two opposing camps, either alone as countries or in coalition with other allies. However, for Algeria, much is alsoat stakeif they can't meet the demand. "Algeria has obviously said it can replace the supplies to Spain through the Medgaz pipeline. Reduced to these realistic proportions, such a policy may seem feasible. Moroccan youth organised a protest in front of the Algerian consulate in the northern city of Casablanca against Bouteflikas statements on human rights in the Sahara region. [22] The French government refused. Algeria and Morocco are two pivotal countries in the Maghreb-Sahel region that are considered key partners by international powers to ensure stability in the region, fight terrorism, and curb organized crime. And that the careers of Algerian and Moroccan security officials, some of whom were recently appointed, are marked by the Sahrawi question and therefore by antagonism with the neighbor. [5] The demilitarized zone was maintained in the meantime, monitored by the OAU's first multinational peacekeeping force. o Neither country has a fifth column within the enemy. The Western Sahara crisis continues to poison relations between the two states. Wake up to the essential with the Editor's picks. An aggravating circumstance in such a context was the statement by Yair Lapid, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Rabat on August 12, 2021, expressing his countrys concerns about Algeria because of its proximity to Iran. Relations between arch-enemies Morocco and Algeria have hit a new low after three Algerian truck drivers were killed on Monday. The sheer loss of life on all sides, from the French days on, the money that could have been spent on human needs, the hatred and civil anguish, all wasted, all down the toilet for nothing -- all the fears and predictions came to naught, and today Vietnam is a . Marinid Sultanate (1244-1465) [ edit] Wattasid Sultanate (1472-1554) [ edit] Saadi Sultanate (1510-1659) [ edit] Alaouite Sultanate (1668-1912) [ edit] Kingdom of Morocco (1956-present) [ edit] References [ edit] ^ Mrini, Driss; Alaoui, Ismal (1997). Three factors contributed to the outbreak of this conflict: the absence of a precise delineation of the border between Algeria and Morocco, the discovery of important mineral resources in the disputed area, and the Moroccan irredentism fueled by the Greater Morocco[9] ideology of the Istiqlal Party and Allal al-Fassi.[10]. The 10% cut of energy supply is a setback for Morocco as well, since the country has to import about 95% of its energy. The Sand War laid the foundations for a lasting and often intensely hostile rivalry between Morocco and Algeria, exacerbated by the differences in political outlook between the conservative Moroccan monarchy and the revolutionary, Arab nationalist Algerian military government. Different capitals allied to both countries are trying: Washington, Moscow, Paris, Beijing, Djeddah, Abu Dhabi. Morocco abandoned its attempts to control Bchar and Tindouf after OAU mediation. Called the War of the Sands, this war refers to the attack of the Algerian army on Moroccan troops which caused the death of 12 Moroccan soldiers. Morocco and Algeria have engaged in a dangerous arms race in recent decades. In November last year, then-US president Donald Trump had recognized Morocco's claim over the phosphate-rich Western Sahara as part of a quid pro quofor Rabat's normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel. This view is echoed by Sonja Hegasy who is convinced that "both countries don't have any interest in waging a war on this conflict, so the most realistic scenario is that the bilateral relations are going to continue to stagnate. War in the Sahara: 1963 by Karen Farsoun and Jim Paul The 1976 conflict between Algeria and Morocco recapitulates in many ways the earlier Saharan war of 1963. The killing of thethree drivers on a desert road is the latest peak in a series ofgrowing tensionsbetween the two Maghreb states that support opposite sides of the dispute over the Western Sahara territory, a former Spanish colony. Today, one must consider that this consensus is dead. Tensions between Algeria and Morocco were at their highest this past summer. You can follow Professor Mohamed Chtatou on Twitter: @Ayurinu, 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. When Spain left, Morocco annexed Western Sahara and encouraged thousands of Moroccans to settle there. In 1903, France also began expanding westwards towards Bechar and Tindouf. Such an action can basically defuse the tension between Morocco and Algeria and make this movement bear the brunt of mounting aggressivity in the region. The Algerian High-Security Council (HCS), an organ of consultation between the President of the Republic, the army, and the security services, declared on August 18, 2021, in a statement, that, the incessant hostile acts perpetrated by Morocco against Algeria required the revision of relations between the two countries and the intensification of security control at the Western borders. ", This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 21:49. After Moroccan forces carried out an operation to drive Sahrawi separatists out of the Guerguerat crossing point in mid-November, as the rebel group had blocked access to the area, Sahrawi fighters are once again saying a war has erupted between Rabat and the Polisario. Moroccos hostile acts would thus indirectly be the arson that caused 92 deaths and thousands of displaced persons in the country between August 9 and 16, 2021 even if the material evidence of such accusations is of course absent. While Algeria has promised to meet Spain's demand by using the smaller undersea Medgaz-pipeline instead as it doesn't run through Morocco the decision has sparked fear of gas shortages and soaring energy prices in Spain and other European countries. Longer than expected shader compilation time when first launching THE LAST OF US Part I. Even in regions where Ben Bella's regime remained deeply unpopular, such as Kabylie, the population offered to take up arms against the Moroccan invaders.
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