Sahara: Algeria-Morocco tensions flare after deadly drone strike
Tensions between Morocco and Algeria are set to spiral following a recent attack in Western Sahara and the international community supporting Rabat’s bid for sovereignty of the disputed territory.
On June 4th, a Moroccan Royal Armed Forces (FAR) drone targeted and destroyed an Algerian-registered truck east of the Sand Wall, near the town of Bir Lahlou in north-eastern Western Sahara, according to reports from Yabiladi. Bir Lahlou, once regarded as the ‘capital’ of the self-proclaimed Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, lies within a long-contested buffer zone.
The strike killed all three men on board. The reasons for the truck’s presence in the active conflict zone remain unclear, as does the nature of its cargo. What is known is that the vehicle was returning from Mauritania and had entered the area via southern Algeria.
In response to the incident, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune convened a meeting of the High Security Council, as confirmed in a statement from the Algerian presidency. Yet notably, most Algerian media outlets avoided covering the attack or acknowledging Morocco’s involvement.
This latest strike is part of a broader pattern. Since the Polisario Front resumed hostilities on November 13, 2020, Moroccan drones have repeatedly targeted Algerian vehicles in the restricted zone east of the Sand Wall — a defensive barrier maintained by the FAR. These attacks have curtailed movement in the area, forcing Polisario forces to withdraw into what they call the “liberated territories.” While the Algerian government has consistently issued verbal condemnations in response to these strikes, no tangible action has followed.
Yabiladi, Maghrebi.org, CNN
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