"Record levels" Tension between Morocco and Algeria stimulates their arms race

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in its annual report that the arms race between Morocco and Algeria has reached record levels amid the existing tensions between the two neighbors, and in light of international expectations of an increase in global military spending due to the war in Ukraine.

The report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) stated on Monday that the Moroccan-Algerian military arms race is continuing in North Africa, amid international expectations of an increase in global military spending due to the war in Ukraine.

The international report issued annually confirmed that military spending in Africa increased by 1.2% during 2021 to reach $39.7 billion, pointing out that North African countries achieved the estimated total military spending in Africa by 51%.

The report issued by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute devoted a special space to discussing regional tension between the two largest African countries in terms of military spending, Algeria and Morocco, explaining that the volume of their arms imports increased during 2021 due to the continuing conflict in the Sahara region.

Algeria occupies an advanced rank in the list of countries that allocate the highest percentage of military spending of GDP, which amounted to 6.1%, which is the highest rate recorded in the African continent, while the percentage of military spending in Morocco reached 4.3% of GDP during the past year.

Algeria allocated $9.1 billion for arms imports during 2021, while Morocco's spending rose to $5.4 billion.

In 2021, total military spending in sub-Saharan Africa was $20.1 billion, 4.1 percent higher than in 2020, but 14 percent lower than in 2012.

The Swedish Institute said that last year eight member states reached the spending target, which is 2% of gross domestic product, which is less than one country than the previous year, but a significant increase from only two countries in 2014.

Although the United States led everyone by spending $801 billion, it actually went against the global trend and cut its spending by 1.4% through 2021.