Marruecos establece una zona militar en la frontera con Argelia

Since Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in August, festering regional rivalry has led to an escalation of tensions in the Maghreb. Algeria's decision was preceded by the escalation of the conflict in Western Sahara, and was followed by the closure of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline. At the same time, an arms race began between the two countries to reinforce their security in a context of threat. 

The Alawi kingdom announced this week the establishment of a new militarised zone in the eastern region to monitor Algerian military manoeuvres on the border. This is the first security area managed entirely by the Moroccan armed forces after the inauguration in June 2020 of a military base on the outskirts of the town of Jerada, in the province of Oujda. The base has been used for logistical activities. 

Former Moroccan Prime Minister Saad Eddine El Othmani facilitated the construction of this military complex in the border region with Algeria, although the Moroccan army claimed that this land would not serve as a base, but as barracks, as part of the new strategy to move these centres away from urban areas. Two years later, as a result of growing tensions, Rabat doubled down and further strengthened its defence. 

From this zone, Morocco will be able to contain potential threats from Algeria and guarantee security. In recent months, Saïd Chengriha's Algerian army has increased its activity on the border, launching a series of military exercises to flex its muscles and heat up the atmosphere. 

Major General Mohamed Mekdad will head this area as commander of the eastern region of the country, which includes the provinces of Figuig and Oujda. General Darmi al-Farouk Belkhair, Inspector of the Armed Forces and commander of the southern region of the country, presided over the inauguration ceremony. 

This new security zone is a response to recent tensions between Morocco and Algeria. The severing of diplomatic relations was followed by a total closure of Algerian airspace to Moroccan aircraft, the closure of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which hit the Alawite kingdom's energy reserves, and, as a backdrop, Algeria's support for the Polisario Front. 

Moroccan analysts also interpret this as Algeria seeking an exit to the Atlantic through the Sahara desert. This hypothesis has served as a justification for the Alawi Kingdom to improve its defence capabilities on a large scale. Sources in the daily Al Arab point out that the Moroccan militarised zone is also intended to curb incursions by "terrorist groups or drug gangs" and, ultimately, to shield the passage. 

The death in November of three Algerian truck drivers in a Moroccan bombing raid as they crossed into Western Sahara raised tensions to the highest level, although in the end there were no reprisals from Algeria. That episode could have been the trigger for a full-scale clash between the two armies, but the conflict is now in Western Sahara, where the Polisario Front receives logistical and military support from Algeria.