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. The rebel National Liberation Front (FLN) heavily contributed to the barbarism of the war, for they often targeted and killed those who disagreed with them, regardless of their civilian status, as they sought to secure Algerian independence. 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. More recently, on 28 September, Algerian Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Said Chengrihaaccused the Moroccan kingdom of plotting a "conspiracy" against his country to undermine the unity of the Algerian people, by sowing discord and division among them. As a result of this policy, several African countries have opened consulates in Western Sahara and thereby effectively declared their support for Morocco, thanks also to French pressure on former colonies in Central and Western Africa, at the explicit instigation of Washington. 1983 - Summit between King Hassan and Algerian president prompts thaw . West. 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. During the Yom Kippur War in 1973, Algeria sent an expeditionary force to fight Israel, including 59 aircraft (Mig-21, Mig-17, Su-7), an infantry platoon and an armored brigade (with an estimated 19 artillery weapons). Copyright 2014 - 2023. Online tool for comparing the current military strengths of two world powers. [5] Morocco's Western allies provided assistance, after Morocco's formal requests for military aid. A laureate of the Royal Military Academy, Farouk began in the infantry, before occupying several key military positions, including commander of the southern provinces, the position he filled for nearly 40 years and that has been virtually vacant since 2017. French colonial rule in Algeria lasted 132 years, beginning in 1830 with the invasion of the capital, Algiers, and continuing until the war for independence, which concluded with the signing of the Evian Accords in March 1962. In the fall of 2021, reports began to emerge that the Moroccan army was purchasing Israeli IAI Heron drones and Harop kamikaze drones. [35] Just years after the victory of their own revolution, many Cubans identified with the Algerians and were eager to support them. [5] Morocco's invasion proved to be a diplomatic blunder, as the other Arab and African states refused to recognize its border claims. On 10/11/21 at 7:30 AM EDT. For this reason, Algeria is extremely wary of attempts by NATO, especially France, the US and Britain, to interfere both in its internal affairs and those of other countries. Morocco formally achieved its independence from France on March 2, 1956. "Morocco is right to be worried", said the U.S. columnist, stressing that drones may not enable its users to win a war but they can inflict severe damage on various targets, from tourist centers to military installations to vital power grids and power stations. [5] The United States feared the escalation and internationalization of the war, particularly wanting to avoid Soviet intervention, and therefore advocated for the peaceful resolution of the conflict. Not a week goes by without a new report of an attack on Moroccos defensive wall. But there have been other disputes too, including over Morocco's normalisation of ties with Israel and allegations of spying. 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. . The Algerian and Moroccan militaries rank second and fifth in Africa, respectively, and shell out dizzying sums to acquire the latest equipment. 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. [8] Morocco officially reported to have suffered 39 dead. [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. I personally think that these kind of questions are simply pointless. [22] However, one of the FLN's primary objectives was to prevent France from splitting the strategic Sahara regions from a future Algerian state. With warlike rhetoric, Algerian diplomacy blamed Morocco for aggressions, threats and terrorist attacks. Earlier this week, Algeria and Italy signed a number of memorandums of understanding during a two-day . [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. [29][28] The Algerian army also lacked trucks, aircraft, and jeeps. The conflict was a Cold War theater: Algeria was . The attack left two people dead and was carried out by three Algerian-French nationals. [7] Moroccan losses were probably lower than the Algerians' but are unconfirmed,[6] with later sources reporting 200 Moroccan dead. In August 2021, Algiers unilaterally cut all ties with Rabat, accusing Morocco of being behind wildfires that consumed Algerian forests. At the end of July, King Mohamed VI had complained about the . [39] The accord mandated a ceasefire for November 2, and announced that a commission consisting of Moroccan, Algerian, Ethiopian, and Malian officers would decide the boundaries of a demilitarized zone. However, for Algeria, much is alsoat stakeif they can't meet the demand. Tensions between the two neighboring North African countries have been growing, and Algeria's rhetoric points towards an armed conflict. All rights reserved. Posted on Wednesday, 3 March 2021 22:49. Regarding two of the countries that share a history of colonialism and war with France, Morocco and Algeria, Macron recalled that the largest diaspora in the Maghreb is precisely on French territory. (Handout photo from the U.S. navy . The main culprit? 31. Although the Moroccan state did not interfere in the annexation of the Tuat region, several Moroccan tribes independently sent volunteers to fight against the French. Morocco controls 80% of the Western Sahara, Algeria supports the independence movementPolisario Front. Until that point, relations between Algeria and Morocco were icy, but cooperative. Unprecedented parallel visits by America's top two diplomats to Morocco and Algeria last month suggest that the U.S. is exploring this new opening. It resulted largely from the Moroccan government's claim to portions of Algeria's Tindouf and Bchar provinces. Did Morocco help Algeria gain independence? Arab . The Sand War led to heightened tensions between the two countries for several decades. The Kingdom of Morocco had criticised the move by Algeria and labelled it "completely unjustified but expected" unilateral decision. 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.". It doesn't have the capability to handle both at the same time," Gower said. Saudi Arabia. Algeria currently enjoys very strong relations with Russia. [38] On October 29, Hassan and Ben Bella met to negotiate in Bamako, Mali, joined by Emperor Selassie and Mali's President Modibo Keta. A War of Words: Russia and the . Algerian-Moroccan relations are heading towards further escalation after Algeria announced the immediate closure of its airspace to Moroccan aviation. The Algeria-Tunisia-Mauritania alliance, combined with Hassan's political flexibility, helped produce in August 1984 what Algerian spokesmen called an "alliance against nature" between Morocco and . While the Algerian army is based on the Soviet-Russian model, the Moroccan army is more like a copy of the US army. Sri Lanka. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [28] They also suspected that Washington was hoping the war would precipitate Ben Bella's downfall, which Castro was determined to prevent. [33], On October 22, hundreds of Cuban troops arrived at Oran. Morocco, consequently, closed off its borders briefly but Algeria used the decision as an . Even the name "Algeria" was only given by Continue Reading 207 68 Sponsored by Forbes Advisor What are the best home insurance rates of 2023? 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. On the side of the Allies, approximately 290,000 Algerian soldiers fought in the French Expeditionary Corps between 1943 and 1945, participating in the Italian campaign of 1943 and the invasion of southern France in 1944. In Algeria, the armed rebellion of the FFS in Kabylie fizzled out, as commanders defected to join the national forces against Morocco. 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. Algeria has openly backed the Polisario Front separatist movement, which defends the right of theSahrawi people to self-determination. The borders around this region were loosely defined. 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. This might sound unconventional, but I'd go with blue-chip art. Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Saad Lamjarred trial: Moroccan singer sentenced to six years in prison, Saad Lamjarred trial: Prosecution requests seven-year sentence in sexual assault case, Morocco's economy risks heavy price with neutrality in Ukraine war, Court annuls EU deals with Morocco over disputed Western Sahara. With hard-hitting investigations, innovative analysis and deep dives into countries and sectors, The Africa Report delivers the insight you need. The Moroccan UNFP and the Algerian-Berber FFS of At Ahmed both suffered as a result of this. France also actively recalls how de Gaulle gave Algeria independence, with Paris openly seeking to prevent further rapprochement between Algeria and Moscow, publishing in particular in its media headlines that it is Macrons nightmare to find Russians in Algeria. This is especially true in the run-up to the appointment of the new UN special envoy for Western Sahara, the Italian-Swedish diplomat Staffan de Mistura, with current negotiations between Morocco and the Polisario Front at a standstill, and the voices that preach appeasement and conciliation being consistently ignored. [21], In 1956 France relinquished its protectorate in Morocco, which immediately demanded the return of the disputed departments, especially Tindouf. After Algeria achieved independence, Morocco . In this video, I have compared the air and naval forces of both countries with you================ Arabic : . "The Western Sahara dossier is the bargaining chip that shapes tensions between Algiers and Rabat," Ghebouli told Al Jazeera.. It aimed to put a definite end to Barbary privateering and increase the king's popularity among the French people, particularly in Paris, where many veterans of the Napoleonic Wars lived. Who will be the winner, Morocco or Portugal? I also predict that after the game, scum of Moroccan descent will start rioting again in our cities. In the case of UNFP, its leader, Mehdi Ben Barka, sided with Algeria, and was sentenced to death in absentia as a result. The views of the authors do not necessarily coincide with the opinion of the editorial board. 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. Observers believe that the current indicators . The military doctrines of both countries are based on the constant threat from a neighboring state, and the ongoing arms race between them is extremely costly for both countries, especially given the current global economic crisis. [26], The Algerian forces began to retaliate against the Moroccan advances, taking back the ports of Hassi-Beida and Tindjoub on October 8. Morocco has a comparable armed force, the mainstay of which is 400 Abrams tanks, one of the most modern modifications, and about 3,000 tanks of older models. He is the author of Who governs Morocco: a sociological study on political leadership (L'Harmattan, 2015). Algeria's fate is tied to the Ukraine crisis. What is happening between Morocco and Algeria? Aziz Chahir est docteur en sciences politiques et enseignant-chercheur Sal, au Maroc. Forget about the speeches of December 2019, when the Moroccan monarch appealed to the newly elected president of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, urging him to open a new chapter in the relations between the two neighbouring countries, based on mutual trust and constructive dialogue, and of August 2021, when Mohammed VI urged his excellency the Algerian president to work in unison for the development of fraternal relations. [34] The Cubans offloaded their equipment and transported it to the southwestern front by rail. 3:18 PM - 4 October, 2021. who would win a war between morocco and algeria Morocco and Algeria have engaged in a dangerous arms race in recent decades. In 1956, Morocco gained freedom, with Spain staying in Western Sahara until 1976. The Moroccan viceroy of Tafilalt who was in charge of collecting tribute from the region refrained from interfering in the conflict, and thus the local tribes were left to fend for themselves. 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