Moroccan Fears of Algeria’s Military Spending

A French parliamentary report exposed the Makhzen regime’s pleas to its protector Paris to help it confront the growing Algerian military power in the region.

The same report also revealed the fears sweeping Rabat over Algeria’s military spending, which the leaders of the Alaouite kingdom see as a source of concern.

These developments were revealed through a report by the French Senate (the upper house of the French parliament), dated December 4, 2024, which Echorouk checked out, dedicated to the travel of a delegation from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces of the same council on a continental mission that included South Africa, Gabon and the Kingdom of Morocco for communication and exchange of views.

According to the Vice-President of the Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces Committee, Pascal Allizard, the delegation visited Morocco from November 13 to 15, 2024, a few days after the end of President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Rabat, noting that the Makhzen regime wants to establish a relationship with France that is more productive in terms of economic and cultural exchanges, but also in particular military ones.

The French senator, who belongs to the Republican (LR) bloc, stressed that “in the context of this renewal of the French-Morrocan cooperation, one aspect is of particular importance: Morocco sees itself as an African platform and considers that its role is to project itself towards sub-Saharan Africa, and in particular the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea…”.

“Of course, this sub-Saharan agenda of Morocco impacts the relationship with Algeria”, Pascal Allizard added, revealing that the representatives of the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs have questioned them several times, expressing, in particular, the country’s concern about the sharp increase in Algerian military spending”.

The French senator considers Paris’ position, which President Macron affirmed during his visit to Morocco regarding the conflict in Western Sahara, “only a step and legal problems remain, as shown by the recent decision of the EU’s Court of Justice regarding the agreement on fisheries”.