Algeria-Morocco Tensions Persist Over Western Sahara and Energy

Algeria's security directorate reported the detention of 61 Moroccan citizens in Oran on suspicion of planning sabotage. The enduring Algeria-Morocco rivalry continues to obstruct Maghreb trade, complicate European gas supplies, and force Washington to balance its Morocco alliance with Algerian influence in the Sahel. The UN mandate for MINURSO expires on 31 October 2026, while the IMF projects Algeria's real GDP growth at 3.8% for 2026.

The two neighbors have lacked normal ties for decades. Their dispute partly traces to the Sand War, after which Rabat saw Algiers as blocking territorial consolidation and Algiers viewed Moroccan claims as threatening inherited African borders. The OAU later backed preserving colonial-era boundaries, but distrust remained.

Western Sahara remains central. Morocco’s preferred outcome is autonomy within its own state; Algeria and Polisario reject that approach and emphasize the Sahrawi population’s status. MINURSO, created in 1991, has never overseen the planned referendum. In October 2026, Algeria’s DGSN reported detaining 61 Moroccans in Oran over alleged sabotage.