Backed by 'Israel,' France and the U.S.: Warnings of War Between Algeria and Morocco

Amidst the clamor of voices inciting war between Algeria and Morocco, intellectuals, politicians, and academics have risen to warn against the folly of these endeavors and their impact on the Maghreb region as a whole.

These intellectuals cautioned that igniting the flames of this "destructive war" is driven by the Zionist, French, and American lobbies, aiming to drag the region into utter chaos.

Mass Chaos

Renowned Moroccan thinker Abouzaid el-Mokrie el-Idrissi, speaking at a seminar organized by the National Union of Labor in Morocco on March 9, 2024, in the capital Rabat, said that "the fools on both sides are igniting the fire of this war, politically, media-wise, and populistically," emphasizing that "the West is the sole beneficiary of this tension."

"I shudder at a set of indicators, especially when I hear from Mohammed Arabi Zitout, the honorable Algerian man, warning against the efforts to ignite war between Algeria and Morocco," el-Idrissi added.

He went on to highlight "indicators confirming the desire to ignite a senseless war, backed by America, France, Israel, the UAE, with the problem lying in the response from the fools on both sides, fueling its fire through online provocations," underscoring, "Fear Allah in everything that ignites the fire."

El-Idrissi recounted an encounter with a Moroccan–French Jew and his son, who spoke in colloquial terms spewing insults toward Algeria under the pretext of love for Morocco, stressing that "this is one of the indicators showing that Israel is leading toward confrontation."

He mentioned that "the Zionist madness finds solace only in fueling wars and stoking the flames of discord among the region's countries," emphasizing that "the Zionists see stability in Arab and Islamic countries as a threat to their existence and their occupying state."

On the other hand, Algerian opposition politician Mohamed Zitout spoke about the regimes of Algeria and Morocco playing with fire by supporting separatist movements in each, despite them being "movements with no popular support or significant weight."

Zitout, in a post on X on March 5, 2024, added that both regimes believe they can pressure the other with their separatist movements, stressing that "this will exacerbate the already heated tensions between the two countries.

"But what [perhaps] the rulers of Algeria and Morocco fail to realize is that secession will fuel internal and regional racial animosities, and the separatists will inevitably fall into the hands of external forces seeking to sow discord within the two countries and heat up the drums of war between them for some time."

The Algerian politician continued, stating, "Some of these forces seek to sow rampant chaos in the Maghreb region to serve their own agendas," emphasizing that it is incumbent upon both governments to realize that "the fate of the region is one fate, and playing with the fire of secession will burn everyone.

"External forces, especially the UAE, Russia, Israel, and Iran, will turn [the gateway of secession] into a fast track for the destruction of Greater Morocco as they did with the Arab Levant."

Assessing the Situation

Responding to these warnings, Nabil al-Andalusi, the president of the Maghreb Center for Research and Strategic Studies, regretted that the voices calling for calming and easing tensions between the neighboring countries, Morocco and Algeria, are still few in number and weak in terms of influence.

Al-Andalusi added to Al-Estiklal that "these voices are mostly outside the decision-making circle, although they are supported by evidence, logic, and wisdom.

"The wise voices between the two countries must be heard more, and the political elites must not underestimate the voices that incite the flames of war, as international powers can fuel the conflict in the context of redrawing the region's map.

"Here, we can recall the warning previously announced by the Algerian politician and Secretary-General of the Workers' Party, Louisa Hanoune, regarding the movements of international parties to ignite war between the two countries," he further noted.

Therefore, al-Andalusi added, "One must not succumb to the rhetoric of escalation," emphasizing that "the cost of war will be harsh on both countries and their peoples if it were to occur between them, God forbid, because war is not a picnic.

"The late Moroccan politician, Mohamed Bensaid Ait Idder, was one of the figures who warned of the danger of escalation between the two countries.

"There was also an initiative to organize forums for discussion and dialogue among the elites of both countries, but this didn't happen."

Al-Andalusi concluded that "such initiatives must continue, and the voice of wisdom must prevail, because the future may be worse if the voices inciting war and widening the scope of conflict persist."

Continuous Escalation

Algerian journalist Othman Lahiani affirmed that "there are those who incite war between Algeria and Morocco, without hesitation," warning that "more than one international and regional party is involved in this incitement, which has made war, in its various forms, inevitable on social media and other platforms."

Lahiani added in an article published by The New Arab Qatari newspaper on February 14, 2024, "Even in people's minds, the causes of conflict seem far greater than the reasons for peace and resolution."

He called for "highlighting all voices of reason and wisdom from Algeria and Morocco regarding the warning against pushing toward the flames of war and conflict, regardless of their forms, and the dangers of normalization with Zionism on the future of the region."

In this regard, Lahiani pointed to "statements made by Louisa Hanoune, Secretary-General of the Workers' Party in Algeria, and Nabila Mounib, a leader in the Unified Socialist Party in Morocco," highlighting that "both have a strong and influential voice in their respective local political environments, with an expressive presence not necessarily integrated into the official and promotional discourse.

"A few days ago, Louisa Hanoune said that there are attempts to fabricate tension on the borders of Algeria in the Sahel region and efforts to provoke war between Algeria and Morocco."

She pointed out that "there are parties inciting war between Algeria and Morocco, for the benefit of the Israeli Occupation, and this calls for caution and vigilance against these schemes and preventing Algeria from being dragged into them."

The journalist emphasized that "the problem of tensions and wars nowadays is that they have become easier in terms of causes and motives, and perhaps wars have returned in various forms to ancient times when they erupted over a well, a spear, or a camel.

"This means that there is fragility in the fabric of regional peace in general, and the Maghreb region is no exception, as it is fraught with tensions and wars in its corners. Therefore, whenever a rational voice arises from here or there, it deserves acknowledgment."

On his part, Moroccan academic Hassan Aourid stated that he read with great interest what Louisa Hanoune said, rejecting the involvement of her country in a war with Morocco, appreciating that "Hanoune represents a conscience for the country, a reference, and a compass for it."

Aourid mentioned in an article published on Al-Jazeera Net on February 8, 2024, that "everything unites Morocco and Algeria, except politics, and politics is linked to a system, a reference, a context, and perhaps individuals.

"Politics is not the constant but the changing. However, this change is what has prevailed over the constant, indeed the constants, and is about to overthrow everything."

Aourid, who previously served as the official spokesperson for the royal palace in Morocco, clarified that "despite the frostiness between the two countries, the spark of hope has not been extinguished, and the evidence is Louisa Hanoune's call, and similar calls, which I hear here in my country."

The Moroccan academic emphasized that "there is still room for reason and insight, and there are still, here and there, wise minds and discerning voices, but we realize that the call of reason is the last to be heard when chaos reigns and shouting prevails. And we are in the hour of shouting, and for those who delve into shouting.

"The two leaderships understand the consequences of adventurism, and are aware of the depth of the bonds between the two countries, but we also realize that the world is interconnected, and wars may be fought by proxy, instigated by others for their own benefit. This is what the wise in both countries should bear in mind.

"The war I want between my country, Morocco, and Algeria is the war on poverty and ignorance. In fact, I want us to wage it together, and this war can only be won together," he said.

"I do not want my country to be dragged into an adventure with Algeria, and I still look forward to the wise, here and there, to extinguish the spark of animosity."

Multiple Risks

A report from Elcano Royal Institute in the Spanish capital, Madrid, warned of the repercussions of the arms race between Morocco and Algeria on the region.

The report published on the institute's website on January 16, 2024, pointed to the continued tension in the Maghreb neighborhood, where there are no signs of the conflict between Algeria and Morocco diminishing, as both countries severed diplomatic relations since August 2021.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune stated on December 30, 2022, that cutting ties with Morocco "was an alternative to war with the country, and mediation between the two countries is not possible."

In contrast, King Mohammed VI stated in a speech on July 30, 2022, the Moroccan commitment to exiting this situation with Algeria and building close cooperation reflecting the strong commonalities between the two peoples.

Returning to the Spanish report, it observed the escalating hostility between Algeria and Morocco, leading them to engage in an arms race, thereby increasing tensions and the risk of an accident or confrontation.

The report, titled Spain in the World in 2024: Perspectives and Challenges, urged Spain to use all possible means to avoid negative scenarios, in addition to preparing to face them if they occur.

A recent report was also issued in Rabat by the Economic Warfare School, entitled Morocco, the Regional Power: Challenges and Key Success Factors and Strategic Options for 2040, which warned of the possibility of a military confrontation between Morocco and Algeria.

The report emphasized that the two countries "find themselves in a geopolitical and diplomatic dilemma with serious consequences for their economies and the stability of the Maghreb region."

This was explained by an increase in military spending, with Algeria ranking third in this field in Africa after Egypt and Nigeria, while Morocco ranks fourth.

The report pointed out that "the scenario of war with Algeria" pushes Morocco to enhance and modernize its military apparatus to protect its attractiveness and strategic projects.

The report also explained that in the event of Algeria instigating a war with Morocco, the latter, despite its military investments and the support that its allies, especially Washington, "Israel," and the Emirates, may provide, risks losing years of progress in terms of infrastructure and strategic projects, and will find it difficult to recover to achieve its ambition to become a regional power.

The report also indicated that Algeria, for its part, may rely on Russia (arms purchases) and Iran, but it will be in a bad position vis-a-vis the international community.

It emphasized that "the consequences will also be severe on the populations, and the need for migration will be more acute than ever, especially toward European countries."