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. In 1940 each of the five territories along the North African coastEgypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Moroccohad a colonial or semi-colonial status under a European power. In the case of UNFP, its leader, Mehdi Ben Barka, sided with Algeria, and was sentenced to death in absentia as a result. It advocated social democracy within an Islamic framework and equal citizenship for any resident in Algeria. Backed by neighbouring Algeria, the Polisario waged a guerrilla war until the . 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. 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. Western Sahara is today the burning issue between Morocco and Algeria. Are Morocco and Algeria on the brink of war? - The Africa Report.com Rabat announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Algiers in protest against the latters decision to join a number of mostly African countries recognising the unilateral decision of the Polisario Front to establish the so-called Sahrawi Arab Republic. Referring to the speech of Ramtane Lamamra, the new head of Algerian diplomacy, at the same conference, he also said that Algeria should not deny this right to the Kabyle people while supporting the self-determination of the Sahrawis and Palestinians. READ MORE This year's AU could work to Morocco's advantage over Western Sahara. Moroccan King Mohammed VI urges Algeria to put aside the differences between the two neighbours and open a new page in their relations. Morocco caught up with Algeria . 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. "Algeria, The Maghreb Union, and the Western Sahara Stalemate. [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 previous times, for example, during the so-called War of the Sands in 1963, the war clashes in 1976, and in the 1980s in the midst of an armed confrontation between the Moroccan armed forces and the Polisario Front guerrillas, which resulted in thousands of deaths, wounded and prisoners, diplomatic relations between Algeria and Morocco were maintained. [32], French sources reported Algerian casualties to be 60 dead and 250 wounded,[6] with later works giving a number of 300 Algerian dead. [5] Morocco's Western allies provided assistance, after Morocco's formal requests for military aid. The Africa Report takes stock of the forces at play and the risk of confrontation between the two North African giants. Egypt even began sending troops and defense hardware in late October to bolster the Algerian military. October 1963: Algeria and Morocco confronted each other militarily over a border dispute in the so-called Sand War in October 1963 following Algeria's independence on July 5, 1962. But without strong evidence, I think they would be hard pushed to launch some kind of military attack in response," Gower said. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune says in a statement his country is ready for any dialogue but asked Morocco to first clarify to Algeria its position on the speech of the Moroccan representative at the UN regarding the Kabylie region. The Moroccan ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, in a note addressed to the members of the conference, seems to have crossed the Rubicon in the eyes of Algeria by declaring that he is in favor of the self-determination of the valiant Kabyle people, the Tamazight-speaking Algerian minority. 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. ", Ukraine updates: Russian attack causes injuries, damage, Ukraine: Russian troops edge closer to taking Bakhmut, Ukraine's counteroffensive: Goals, opportunities, risks. War in the Sahara: 1963 - JSTOR Algeria and Morocco: A troubled history | Middle East Eye [8] Morocco officially reported to have suffered 39 dead. That's why debates like Goku vs. Superman, Link vs. Factbox: Western Sahara, an old conflict on the verge of explosion Morocco and Algeria: will there be war in 2022? Ukrainian soldiers find remains of German WWII soldiers, LGBTQ+ rights situation at home drives young Slovaks abroad, Remembering the horrors of Colonia Dignidad in Chile. Morocco abandoned its attempts to control Bchar and Tindouf after OAU mediation. Since the War of the Sands, nothing has been settled between the two countries, except for a few problems whose solution could not be delayed too long, and which required delicate negotiations: such as the demarcation of the demilitarized zone on the border, or the fate of the people and goods on both sides that suffered from the conflict, or the cooperation agreements concluded or prepared before the crisis and which were never put into effect. Why is Netflix pouring billions into South Korean shows? The Algerian government is taking this case particularly seriously since it is firmly opposed to any desire for independence from Kabylia, an Amazigh/ Berber-speaking region in northeast Algeria. The North African neighbours are locked in a bitter rivalry over the disputed territory of Western Sahara, where the Algerian-backed Polisario movement seeks an independence referendum. These developments were all it took for both countries media outlets to launch into virulent and often insulting smear campaigns against the opposing side. Syria says Aleppo airport forced to shut after Israeli airstrike; 1 soldier killed, Israel falling far behind its own global warming emissions targets, McCarthy extols ties at Knesset, vows full support for Israeli security against Iran, Government agency warns judicial uncertainty will damage tech ecosystem, Knesset summer session opens with slugging match over judicial overhaul, Levin accuses US administration of cooperating with judicial overhaul opponents. Rabat denied the accusations but Algiers demanded that the former provides evidence. [4] Although they were initially described as an advisory contingent to train the Algerian army, Fidel Castro also authorized their deployment in combat actions to safeguard Algeria's territorial integrity. Morocco/Algeria: Western Sahara conflict shows signs of escalation [8] About 57 Moroccans and 379 Algerians were taken prisoner. But the fundamentals remain the same: political contradictions between the two regimes, rein? 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. It is now on the military terrain that this almost fifty-year antagonism between the two enemy brothers is unfolding. November 2020 unleashed pandora's box following the military intervention in Guerguerat and Washington's recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara. 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. [23], During the Algerian War, Morocco backed the National Liberation Front, Algeria's leading nationalist movement, in its guerrilla campaign against the French. Western Sahara is an integral part of Morocco for Rabat. Algerias hostility toward Morocco since its independence in 1962 is considered a real enigma by many foreign observers. Morocco and Algeria: will there be war in 2022? - Atalayar But history shows that states do not always have absolute control over their own level of aggressiveness: an escalation that is initially controlled can quickly degenerate. [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. [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. [11][30] They possessed forty T-54 main battle tanks that they had purchased from the Soviet Union, twelve SU-100 tank destroyers, seventeen AMX-13s, and a fleet of gun-armed Panhard EBR armored cars. Please contact us in case of abuse. 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). 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]. "Alone at Home" children's play debuts at Sharjah Children's Reading Festival 2023. Simply use the dropdowns below to select your global powers. [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. Morocco and Algeria: A Long Rivalry - Carnegie Endowment for According to the investigation by the Forbidden Stories Consortium and Amnesty International, about 6,000 Algerian phone numbers including some belonging to senior political, military, and intelligence officials, including current Foreign Minister Ramtane Lamamra, as well as the current and former army chief of staff were identified as targets of the Pegasus software, which was marketed by the Israeli company NSO in 2019. He is, also, currently teaching Communication Skills and Translation and Interpreting to master students at The Institute for Leadership and Communication Studies ILCS- in Rabat, Morocco and supervising several Fulbright students in areas of religion and culture in Morocco. The accumulation of crisis factors between the two countries, the arms race in which they are involved, and the contradictory and largely antagonistic interests of the two countries raise concerns and fears of a possible large-scale armed conflict in North Africa. These revelations have caused widespread outrage in Algeria, especially on social networks. Nabil Adghoghi, the first advisor to the Mission of the Kingdom of Morocco to the European Union, confirms that the foreign policy of the Sherifian Kingdom is anchored in Europe with a marked economic openness. It must be said that Rabat, seeking a counter-fire to Algiers support for the Polisario, the independence movement of Western Sahara, crossed a red line in mid-July by distributing, via its diplomatic representative in New York, a report evoking the right to self-determination of the Kabyle people. Algiers is seeking to reassert its weight in the region after several years of retreat that had left the way open for Rabats influence at the regional and international levels. While Moroccos financial support for the MAK leadership abroad is in little doubt for many dissidents of the organization born in the aftermath of the Kabyle Black Spring of 2001 (126 deaths), no actions by Algiers in support of the Rif Hirakare known yet, but this could change under the terms of the HCS communiqu. . Dr. Mohamed Chtatou is a Professor of MENA region area studies at Universit Internationale de Rabat -UIR- and of Education at Universit Mohammed V in Rabat, as well. Of course, the race for regional hegemony remains a major motive for both countries. 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. 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. He invaded the country in 1963. who would win a war between morocco and algeria [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. 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). Look at Vietnam. Moroccan activism, Algerian tension o War is the ultimate instrument for the defence of the country's strategic interests, which include national security and the country's projection as an international actor. [25] These factors prompted Hassan to begin moving troops towards Tindouf. French friends with benefits: African war veterans finally get to go Relations between the Algerian Socialist Republic and the Sherifian Monarchy are far from stabilized, and one cannot avoid considering peace in this region of the Maghreb as a fragile truce that the slightest incident could call into question. Military doctrine in both countries is based on the consideration that "in order to carry weight on the international geopolitical stage, it is necessary to have modern, high-quality armed forces". Get your free PDF by completing the following form. Moroccos ambassador to the UN, Omar Hilale, called for the independence of the Kabyle people in Algeria during a meeting of non-aligned countries. The Western Sahara conflict. But the war is affecting the wider region in ways that are undeniablemost notably by feeding the rivalry between Morocco and. This diplomatic activism is likely to irritate Algiers and rekindle the competition between the two neighbors. Morocco and Algeria are on the brink of a destructive war? Morocco's and Algeria's top military and secret service leaders have risen through the ranks and often led brilliant and sometimes action-packed careers. But before this last step, there are others through which Algeria or Morocco defends its vital interests. 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. Morocco maintains its programme of strategic alliances and its projection on five continents intact. Let the Morocco and Algeria see who is more powerful. Algeria-Morocco tensions: The onset of a regional cold war The conflict was a Cold War theater: Algeria was supported by Egypt and Cuba, while Morocco was endorsed by the United States. [4] The unit was made up of 686 men under the command of Efigenio Ameijeiras. But if the myth of a united Maghreb is still alive, it no longer covers the same realities. The protest ended with the burning of the Algerian flag. Clearly, neither Algeria nor Morocco wants an open conflict with inevitably catastrophic consequences for both countries. who would win a war between morocco and algeria. For the time being, however, all attempts have failed despite the autonomy plan proposed by Rabat and the claim of a referendum by the Polisario Front. 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. There are expansion plans for that, but they're not due for completion until the end of this year at the absolute earliest," Gower said, adding"there is no back-up plan. In the eyes of the Algerian regime, there is the blessed Hirak, the one that put an end to the mafia-like excesses of the presidency of Abdelaziz Bouteflika (1999-2019), and the cursed Hirak, the one that demands a change of regime and which would be supported according to the Algerian military regime by Imperialist-Zionist forces. Each has its own plan that is working and is not hindered by its rival. Against the backdrop of the dispute over Western Sahara, relations between Algiers and Rabat have recently deteriorated further. The Africa Report takes an in-depth look at the forces involved. Morocco and Algeria have engaged in a dangerous arms race in recent decades. The Moroccan consul in the western Algerian city of Oran called Algeria an enemy country, prompting the Algerian foreign ministry to summon the Moroccan ambassador and to declare the implicated diplomat persona non grata. Morocco and Algeria: the never-ending cold war | Mohamed Chtatou | The Medgaz was the backup plan. 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. By Heloise Urvoy with AFP Updated: 29/04/2023 - 08:23. Not a week goes by without a new report of an attack on Moroccos defensive wall. But before this last step, there are others through which Algeria or Morocco defends its vital interests. [33], On October 22, hundreds of Cuban troops arrived at Oran. That is what we believe will change the continent, and that is what we report on. For decades, Algeria and Morocco have been at loggerheads over the Western Sahara conflict between the Polisario Front independence fighters, who proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976 supported by Algeria since the departure of the former Spanish colonial power in 1975 and Morocco, which currently administers and occupies this former colony, considering it an integral part of the Sherifian kingdom. The major events of the decade in neighboring countries the change of Ben Alis regime in Tunisia, the overthrow of Gaddafi in Libya, the declaration of independence of Azawad in Mali, in 2012, the French Serval intervention, the attacks of jihadists against the gas site of Ain Amenas in the south in January 2013 are interpreted as evidence of a desire to destabilize the country. 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.. So far, no mediation has been successful, but both capitals do not close their doors to mediators. The two countries summoned each others ambassadors. Algerian Foreign Minister Lamtane Lamamras vehement condemnation was then accompanied by a tacit threat about the risk of the Moroccan monarchy facing a separatist claim in the Rif, an Amazigh/ Berber-speaking region in northern Morocco in recurrent conflict with the central government. . Aged between 85 and 96 . 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. 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. North African standoff: How the Western Sahara conflict is - ECFR [31] On October 13, 1963, Moroccan ground units launched a major offensive on Tindouf. Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. o The impossibility of successful international mediation. 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. Morocco condemned provocative acts and transgressions at the opening of a regional football tournament in Algeria, at which the grandson of Nelson Mandela made a speech and called for Western Sahara to be free. 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. 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. When Spain left, Morocco annexed Western Sahara and encouraged thousands of Moroccans to settle there. [23] However, Hassan was reluctant to authorise it, fearing that another battle would prompt further military intervention from Algeria's allies. Only the last of these leads to the outbreak of hostilities, because once the machinery of war has been set in motion, turning back becomes very difficult, if not impossible. It was also notable for ushering in the first multinational peacekeeping mission carried out by the Organisation of African Unity. They are characterized by a rivalry for leadership in the region, but also by periods of tension. 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. The troops provided training to the Algerians, and their medical team offered the population free healthcare. However, Ben Bella suspended the attack in order to proceed with negotiations to end the war peacefully. [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. Could the situation descend into a full-blown conflict? Though relations between the brotherly countries have never been without bumps in the road, Morocco and Algerias chilly ties have given way to open hostility over the past few months. Tensions between the two neighbors crystallized following the normalization of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Israel under the Trump administration in late 2020, in return for the U.S. recognition of the Moroccan identity (marocanit) of Western Sahara, and this in a complete break with a six-decade-old policy. Especially since Algiers first, followed by Rabat, has been engaged in an arms race Russian for Algeria, Western for Morocco for the past fifteen years, which has not had the virtue of creating a more fraternal atmosphere between the two countries. List of wars involving Morocco - Wikipedia 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. The Western Sahara crisis continues to poison relations between the two states. However, Algeria considers that the Sahrawi people should be able to gain independence and has supported the Polisario Front since 1975 when Spain ceased to exercise its autonomy over the region after years of colonization. With hard-hitting investigations, innovative analysis and deep dives into countries and sectors, The Africa Report delivers the insight you need. Moreover, Morocco is one of the Unions main partners throughout the Mediterranean. 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. Why Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco: and implications for the Relations between the two North African states have been marred by several crises since their independence, particularly the 1963 Sand War, the . The leaders of both countries exchanged visits as a testament to normalisation. (1954-1962). ( ) .================COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER UNDER SECTION 107 OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT 1976 Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for \"fair use\" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. We believe that Africa is poorly represented, and badly under-estimated. Will Algeria and Morocco go to war, and who will win? - Quora Analysts however doubt that an escalation is imminent. 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. 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 Golden State Warriors will head to the Target Center in Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, March 1. It can also tip over into an all-out conflict if Algeria allows and supports the Polisario Front in going beyond today's military commitments. Simply use the dropdowns below to select your global powers. Britain formally established a protectorate over Egypt in 1914. Relations between arch-enemies Morocco and Algeria have hit a new low after three Algerian truck drivers were killed on Monday. In the event of a balance, as is currently the case, neither will dare to take the first step. [9], Upon Algerian independence, the FLN announced it would apply the principle of uti possidetis to pre-existing colonial borders. The Sand War or the Sands War (Arabic: , romanized:arb ar-Riml) was a border conflict between Algeria and Morocco in October 1963. This week, the difficult situation has been even further exacerbated, with Algeria ending the contract for a gas pipeline that runs via Morocco to deliver gas to Spain. Please enable Javascript in order to access to this story. But I will answer your question to the best of my ability. [40] However, a Malian officer arrived on November 4 and enforced the Bamako Accord, ending the hostilities. Morocco-Algeria relations: What fuels the escalation? - DW 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 . I think the Moroccans would win do their larger military force, the portuges. Bilateral relations warmed as Rabat prepared for a visit by the then-Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and his delegation to sign several agreements. . In 1903, France also began expanding westwards towards Bechar and Tindouf. Who Would Win in a Fight? You Decide! [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 . [28] They also suspected that Washington was hoping the war would precipitate Ben Bella's downfall, which Castro was determined to prevent. Who Wins Wars? | HuffPost Latest News [22] The French government refused. 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. - Quora 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. Rising tensions between the two countries could tarnish the picture in the eyes of the international community, or at least raise its concern.
who would win a war between morocco and algeria
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