", Ukraine updates: Russian attack causes injuries, damage, Ukraine: Russian troops edge closer to taking Bakhmut, Ukraine's counteroffensive: Goals, opportunities, risks. Backed by neighbouring Algeria, the Polisario waged a guerrilla war until the . The conflict was a Cold War theater: Algeria was . This was only the latest episode in a process of escalation between the two countries. 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. Why Algeria cut diplomatic ties with Morocco: and implications for the The Algerian authorities had previously cut their diplomatic . 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. Answer (1 of 5): It depends on who starts the war, however Portugal and morocco arent enemies, they have no current conflict. [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. ", This page was last edited on 1 May 2023, at 21:49. 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. - Quora 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.. 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. Algerias hostility toward Morocco since its independence in 1962 is considered a real enigma by many foreign observers. 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. [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. Morocco and Algeria are on the brink of a destructive war? o The accumulation of war material must reach a level at which victory over the enemy is conceivable. A preamble recognized that Algeria had fallen behind other Arab . Let the Morocco and Algeria see who is more powerful. Although this war ended in a cease-fire permitted by the Organization of African Unity (OAU) under the proposal of Malian President Modibo KETA, the resulting enmity remained a problem that hindered the establishment of peace in the region since. King Mohammed's son, King Hassan II, who succeeded him, made claims over Algerian territory. 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. Morocco and Algeria have engaged in a dangerous arms race in recent decades. 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. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), created in 1976, is supported by Algiers, which even agrees to shelter its leaders and hundreds of thousands of Sahrawi refugees on its soil. 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. . Nine African war veterans finally return to their home countries with the insurance to get their full pensions. [8] About 57 Moroccans and 379 Algerians were taken prisoner. [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. Since 13 November 2020, the day the Moroccan army "secured . They will therefore do everything to avoid pressure from the international community. [11] In the Treaty of Lalla Maghnia (March 18, 1845), which set the border between French Algeria and Morocco, it is stipulated that "a territory without water is uninhabitable and its boundaries are superfluous"[12] and the border is delineated over only 165km. Algeria said it repelled Moroccan ambitions for land on the border, while Rabat said it retaliated against the border provocations of the Egyptian-backed Algerian army. In this video, we have compared the military of the two countries. Tensions between Algeria and Morocco have never been as tense in 45 years. These revelations have caused widespread outrage in Algeria, especially on social networks. So far, Morocco has denied any involvement in the bombings that took place in the Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara near the border with Mauritania. Nor is it particularly helpful that the careers of Moroccan and Algerian security officials, some of whom were recently appointed, are built around the Sahrawi question and thus a sense of antagonism towards the opposing side. 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. However, the contract between Algeria's state-owned energy company Sonatrach and the Moroccan National Office for Energy and Potable Water (ONEE) ended without renewal in late October this year. [7] Moroccan losses were probably lower than the Algerians' but are unconfirmed,[6] with later sources reporting 200 Moroccan dead. 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. For Mediterranean and Atlantic leaders, it wants to be the bridge of communication, information and understanding between cultures. This resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Algeria's ill-equipped. 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. [39] It was also determined that an Ethiopian and Malian team would observe the neutrality of the demilitarized zone. The Algerian and Moroccan militaries rank second and fifth in Africa, respectively, and shell out dizzying sums to acquire the latest equipment. [41] The treaty was signed in Mali following a number of preliminary discussions between Hassan and Ben Bella. [4] The Royal Moroccan Army soon crossed into Algeria in force and succeeded in taking the two border posts of Hassi-Beida and Tindjoub. Thus, the tone rises again between the North African brothers who have historically always maintained a stormy relationship. Trade agreements with the European Union incorporating the disputed territory are considered an achievement by Rabat both for its claim to the Moroccan identity of the Western Sahara and its positioning as a regional leader. You can follow Professor Mohamed Chtatou on Twitter: @Ayurinu, 2023 The Times of Israel , All Rights Reserved. The 10% cut of energy supply is a setback for Morocco as well, since the country has to import about 95% of its energy. King Hassan II of Morocco visited Algiers in March 1963 to discuss the undefined borders, but Algeria's President Ahmed Ben Bella believed the matter should be resolved at a later date. Leading up to the final days of Trump's period in the White House, the former president signed a decree officially acknowledging (by America) Morocco's claim that the disputed territory is a legitimate sovereign part of the kingdom. Solar panel initiatives are already up and running but Morocco isfar from being energy-sufficient enough to cover such a loss. Moreover, Morocco is one of the Unions main partners throughout the Mediterranean. November 2020 unleashed pandora's box following the military intervention in Guerguerat and Washington's recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara. In their three previous meetings this season, the Warriors won twice. 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. It advocated social democracy within an Islamic framework and equal citizenship for any resident in Algeria. [23], During the Algerian War, Morocco backed the National Liberation Front, Algeria's leading nationalist movement, in its guerrilla campaign against the French. The leaders of both countries exchanged visits as a testament to normalisation. The war began on the night of October 31, 1954. For Rabat, it is a matter of defending the integrity of its territory. 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. 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. Western Sahara is today the burning issue between Morocco and 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. Moroccan irredentism, the absence of clear borders, and Algerias unwillingness to reconsider the borders inherited from the colonial period were all reasons that gave rise to the conflict. [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. In the event of a balance, as is currently the case, neither will dare to take the first step. 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. Simply use the dropdowns below to select your global powers. The GlobalFirepower.com logo is a trademark of this website and is protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. The fires in Algeria were ordered by Rabat according to the Algerian propaganda. [13] Beyond that there is only one border area, without limit, punctuated by tribal territories attached to Morocco or Algeria. Immediately, it risks materializing as Algiers rearming the Polisario, which has declared that it is no longer concerned with the ceasefire and has been at war with the Moroccan presence in Western Sahara since November 2020. 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. o The impossibility of successful international mediation. The deterioration of relations between the two Maghreb brothers has, indeed, worsened after the recent rapprochement between Morocco and Israel. Please enable Javascript in order to access to this story. Could the situation descend into a full-blown conflict? The Supreme Security Council in Algeria, headed by Tebboune, accused Morocco of continuing with its hostile acts and called for bilateral relations to be reviewed and security monitoring on the western borders to be tightened. The GFP country comparison form is provided to allow you to make direct, side-by-side comparisons of any two world powers represented in the GFP database. Morocco and Algeria: will there be war in 2022? He has taught in the past some courses in universities in the USA, Spain, France, Italy, England and Greece. The Western Sahara question has poisoned more than just Moroccan-Algerian relations. The battle between Morocco and Algeria is for "leadership in the region." the paper's sources said, adding that Algeria "must implement a more aggressive diplomatic strategy." "Over the. He is, also, a specialist on political Islam in the MENA region with interest in the roots of terrorism and religious extremism. Morocco maintains its programme of strategic alliances and its projection on five continents intact. Who would win a war between Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Saudi - Quora By Heloise Urvoy with AFP Updated: 29/04/2023 - 08:23. [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. Rabats African strategy has allowed it to develop relationships and trade agreements with regional groups such as ECOWAS and turn some African states in its favor on the Western Sahara issue. The rivalry between Morocco and Algeria exemplified in the Sand War also influenced Algeria's policy regarding the conflict in Western Sahara, with Algeria backing an independence-minded Sahrawi guerrilla organization, the Polisario Front, partly to curb Moroccan expansionism in the wake of the attempt to annex Tindouf. 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.". 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. Please contact us in case of abuse. At first glance, it is easy to believe that they are similar in every way. Get your free PDF by completing the following form. In doing so, they have effectively pledged their support to Morocco. 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. The conflict was a Cold War theater: Algeria was supported by Egypt and Cuba, while Morocco was endorsed by the United States. He invaded the country in 1963. Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. List of wars involving Morocco and the former entities that ruled the current Morocco. 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. These developments were all it took for both countries media outlets to launch into virulent and often insulting smear campaigns against the opposing side. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune accused Morocco of supporting the Kabyle pro-independence organization MAK (Mouvement pour lautodtermination de la Kabylie), classified since last May as a terrorist by the same HCS. Of course, the race for regional hegemony remains a major motive for both countries. Morocco controls 80% of the Western Sahara, Algeria supports the independence movementPolisario Front. Algerian foreign minister Ramtane Lamamra announced the severing of diplomatic relations with Morocco over what he termed as successive aggressive steps. North African standoff: How the Western Sahara conflict is - ECFR "Algeria has obviously said it can replace the supplies to Spain through the Medgaz pipeline. [23], Multiple actors, including the Arab League, Tunisia's Habib Bourguiba, Libya's King Idris, and Ethiopia's Emperor Haile Selassie, sought to moderate negotiations. Post author: Post published: March 13, 2023 Post category: what font is used for blippi logo Post comments: what if court deadline falls on weekend california what if court deadline falls on weekend california The Sand War led to heightened tensions between the two countries for several decades. "Alone at Home" children's play debuts at Sharjah Children's Reading Festival 2023. They defeated the local tribesmen at the Battle of Taghit and the Battle of El-Moungar, although they didn't directly annex the region into French Algeria. Cold war under the scorching sun: How a new conflict is brewing in Complete the form and download, for free, the highlights from The Africa Reports Exclusive Ranking of Africas top 200 banks from last year. 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. Hostilities between Morocco and Algeria have taken on a new dimension in recent months, especially over the Western Sahara question. Dubbed North Africa's new 'Cold War', the tensions between Morocco and neighboring Algeria threaten to escalate and the consequences of this have a lot more to do with Western meddling in the affairs of the two countries than meets the eye. Nations are listed by their formal names in alphabetical order (A-to-Z). 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. In this regard, after his election, the President of the Republic Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that the authentic blessed Hirak movement has saved Algeria from a real catastrophe, which almost caused the collapse of the State, stressing that the recent demonstrations have unknown organizers and were no longer unified in terms of ideas, demands or slogans.. In Algiers, Moroccos latest moves have been a clear source of tension at a time when Algerias once highly influential diplomatic corps is starting to pick up the pieces after 20 years of stagnation under former president Abdelaziz Bouteflikas regime. Source : wikipedia.org worlddata.infoGlobalfirepower================ About Morocco Army English :The Royal Moroccan Army (Arabic: Al-Quwwat al-Bariyah al-Malakiyah al-Maghribiyah, Standard Moroccan Tamazight: tasrdast tagldant) is the branch of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations.The Royal Moroccan Army is about 215,000 troops strong and consists of 195,000 professional soldiers and 20,000 conscripts. Reduced to these realistic proportions, such a policy may seem feasible. Moroccos King Mohammed VI called for the restoration of diplomatic ties with Algeria. Tensions between the two neighboring North African countries have been growing, and Algeria's rhetoric points towards an armed conflict. The GFP country comparison form is provided to allow you to make direct, side-by-side comparisons of any two world powers represented in the GFP database. It is now on the military terrain that this almost fifty-year antagonism between the two enemy brothers is unfolding. [31] This prompted further attempts at negotiations, but these proved ineffectual as well. The Moroccan UNFP and the Algerian-Berber FFS of At Ahmed both suffered as a result of this. [23] Morocco finally abandoned all claims to Algerian territory in 1972 with the Accord of Ifrane, though Morocco refused to ratify the agreement until 1989.[43]. It doesn't have the capability to handle both at the same time," Gower said. [28] Morocco also possessed modern strike aircraft, while Algeria did not. The Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Morocco to the United Nations in New York, Omar Hilale on July 15, 2021, presented Algerias support for the self-determination of the Western Sahara region as hypocritical, in the face of Algeria denying similar rights to its Kabyle people. However, no significant breakthrough was achieved. Timeline: Algeria and Morocco's diplomatic disputes Andrew Wells-Dang on U.S.-Vietnam Relations 48 Years After the War 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. This is part two of a five-part series. [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. - Secondly, in order for the war to come to a confrontation, there are several stages to go through. who would win a war between morocco and algeria. So far, no mediation has been successful, but both capitals do not close their doors to mediators. It is, moreover, the Moroccan proximity to Israel which the Pegasus spying affair has only made more likely that has fuelled pro-government propaganda in Algeria during the fires. In response, Algeria denounced foreign maneuvers aimed at destabilizing it, citing a real desire to attack Algeria through the arrival of the Zionist entity at its doorstep. Algeria also protested against a court ruling that sentenced the man accused of burning the flag to two months in prison. Morocco abandoned its attempts to control Bchar and Tindouf after OAU mediation. Indeed, these tensions could hinder the already fragile regional stability. 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". 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. However, the war hypothesis seems to be ruled out, despite the alarms that have been raised, largely fuelled by the powerful international lobbies of the arms market. Morocco officially denies that the war has resumed. Factbox: Western Sahara, an old conflict on the verge of explosion [29][28] The Algerian army also lacked trucks, aircraft, and jeeps. "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. Algeria said . But if the myth of a united Maghreb is still alive, it no longer covers the same realities. The main culprit? [28] They also suspected that Washington was hoping the war would precipitate Ben Bella's downfall, which Castro was determined to prevent. In Algeria, the armed rebellion of the FFS in Kabylie fizzled out, as commanders defected to join the national forces against Morocco. The troops provided training to the Algerians, and their medical team offered the population free healthcare. But the visit was cancelled at the last minute with Rabat saying the time was not right, a gesture Algeria called an insult. 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. [29] The Soviet Union supplied Algeria with ten T-34 tanks, but these were equipped for clearing minefields and were delivered without turrets or armament. 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. [28] The Algerian army had ordered a large number of AMX-13 light tanks from France in 1962,[29] but, at the time of the fighting, only twelve were in service. In reality, it is explained by the nature of power in Algeria, which, lacking democratic or at least historical legitimacy, sees this hostility as necessary for its internal hegemony and continuation. Rabat accused Algerian intelligence of being behind a bombing in the western Moroccan city of Marrakesh and imposed an entry visa requirement on Algerians. Britain formally established a protectorate over Egypt in 1914. [34] The Cubans offloaded their equipment and transported it to the southwestern front by rail. Morocco and Algeria: the never-ending cold war | Mohamed Chtatou | The [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 . This period had an impact on Algerian politics, which perceived Europe as a neo-colonialist threat. Known Issues High idle power has situationally been observed when using select high-resolution and high refresh rate displays on Radeon RX 7000 series GPUs. Algeria has been using the Gaz-Maghreb-Europe pipeline (GME) for the past 25 years to deliver natural gas to Spain and Portugal via Morocco. Then, these tensions crystallized around the Western Sahara conflict following Algiers support for the Polisario Front, which claims independence for the territory disputed between Polisario and Morocco. can rely on a broad social and political consensus that the Western Sahara should be Moroccan and he has little criticism to fear from his own people," Sonja Hegasy, Vice Director at the Berlin-based Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Leibniz Center for the Modern Orient, ZMO), told DW on the phone. [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. [44], Article 6 du trait, cit par Zartman, page 163, "Western Sahara: Nonviolent resistance as a last resort", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sand_War&oldid=1152716101. 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. November 2020 unleashed pandora's box following the military intervention in Guerguerat and Washington's recognition of Rabat's sovereignty over Western Sahara. This is part three of a five-part series. However, Morocco's ONEE was quick to assure in a statement that "the decision announced by the Algerian authorities not to renew the agreement on the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline will currently have only a minimal impact on the performance of the national electricity system.". That's why debates like Goku vs. Superman, Link vs. [17] The conflict ended with the annexation of the Touat-Gourara-Tidikelt complex by France in 1901.[18].
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