Morocco named as Africa’s largest arms importer

According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Morocco is the largest importer of arms in Africa, as reported by Maghrebi Week on March 16th.

SIPRI, which tracks transfers of “major” weapons, including warships, armoured vehicles, fighter jets and missile systems, found that Morocco’s arms imports increased by 12% between 2021 and 2025, compared with the 2016 to 2020 period.

Morocco’s main arms suppliers are the US (60%), Israel (24%) and France (around 10%); the report linked Morocco’s arms shipments to “persistent tensions” with neighbouring Algeria, which has rejected the widely supported plan to grant the disputed Western Sahara territory limited self-governance under Moroccan sovereignty.

Maghrebi Week