Algeria Completes New Military Air Base Near Moroccan Border
Positioned menacingly near Tindouf at coordinates 28°52'55″N, 5°49'10″W, the base represents the latest escalation in Algeria's relentless militarization campaign targeting Morocco's eastern border, intensifying an already volatile situation in a blatant show of force.
Satellite imagery exposed by AODA reveals two Russian-made MiG-29M2 fighter jets, armed with air-to-air missiles, poised in attack-ready positions at the facility, leaving no doubt about Algeria's hostile intentions.
This provocative war machine includes extensive ammunition depots and combat infrastructure purposefully designed to accommodate additional Sukhoi warplanes, with runways specifically extended for aggressive military operations.
The warmongering installation features an intrusive early warning radar station looming north of the main facility at coordinates 28°53'53″N, 5°47'22″W and 28°53'34″N, 5°46'48″W, establishing an aggressive surveillance presence aimed directly at Moroccan territory.
Battle tanks have been deliberately transferred from Tindouf camps to fortify this threatening outpost, which emerged in late 2021 as part of Algeria's calculated military aggression against Morocco.
Operating under Algeria's 3rd Military Region, the Oum el Assel base serves as just one piece in an alarming network of 25 military installations deliberately positioned to threaten Morocco's sovereignty.
This aggressive military encirclement includes anti-aircraft batteries, artillery strongholds, armored divisions, and multiple combat-ready facilities, all strategically placed within striking distance of Moroccan territory, some provocatively stationed mere kilometers from the border.
Read also: Morocco and Algeria: Neighbors Bound by History, But Doomed to Rivalry?
Algeria's belligerent posturing extends well beyond its aggressive moves against Morocco. In a recent display of regional bullying, Algerian forces shot down a Malian drone and shut down their airspace to Mali, igniting a diplomatic crisis with the Sahel States Alliance.
The timing of this military escalation appears deliberately orchestrated to coincide with legitimate French-Moroccan military exercises planned for September in Errachidia.
Algeria's diplomatic corps has issued thinly veiled threats regarding these defensive exercises, codenamed 'Chergui 2025,' exposing its pattern of aggressive interference in sovereign military cooperation between other countries.
This menacing military installation underscores Algeria's broader strategy of regional destabilization, exemplified by its web of approximately twenty air and ground bases concentrated near Moroccan territory.
This includes two military bases with anti-aircraft defenses just 8 kilometers from the border, logistics barracks at 6 and 10 kilometers, infantry and artillery bases, an armored base with bunkers at 35 kilometers, and multiple other combat installations stretched along the frontier.
The strategic placement and offensive capabilities of these facilities expose Algeria's unmistakable hostile intent, with systematic deployment of combat forces and surveillance systems targeting Morocco.
Algeria's accelerating militarization campaign continues despite Morocco's persistent efforts to maintain regional stability and Rabat's mounting diplomatic successes in the Western Sahara dossier.
Observers note that this systematic pattern of provocative military deployments risks igniting a comprehensive regional conflict that would not only affect Morocco but would spread throughout the African Sahel region.
Algeria's military generals, having lost influence in the Sahel, appear to be pursuing what analysts describe as a suicidal strategy to cover up their diplomatic and military failures.
The regime seems intent on psychologically preparing Algerian public opinion for direct confrontation with neighboring countries, after its stubborn stance and sequential aggressive behavior has already transformed three-quarters of Algeria's land borders into potential conflict zones. Tags: Algerian MilitaryMorocco Algeria borders
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Ya Biladi
11 hours ago
- Ya Biladi
Meknes newborn finally registered under the name Massinissa after initial refusal
In Meknes, a family's choice to name their newborn son Massinissa, after the historic Amazigh king, sparked administrative hurdles this week. A civil registry officer at the 8th district office in the Marjane 2 neighborhood refused to register the name, despite clear legal and judicial rulings granting parents the freedom to choose names, and official instructions requiring officers to register them or refer disputes to the High Commission within 24 hours, the family's lawyer, Sabri Lhou, denounced in a post on Facebook. Lhou said the officer «placed obstacles in the way, creating unnecessary difficulties to block my client's legal right to register his son under the name Massinissa, and demanded another name be chosen». The dispute ended after the intervention of the Governor of Meknes Province. In a follow-up post on August 12, the lawyer said the governor upheld the law and «restored the prestige, status, and authority of the name Massinissa». The father was contacted by the Marjane 2 office and informed that the earlier refusal had been overturned. The incident brings the issue of civil registry officers refusing Amazigh names back into the spotlight. In the past, many parents have seen their Amazigh name choices rejected, but the Moroccan government had made its position clear on the matter. In 2023, Morocco's High Commission of the Civil Registry reaffirmed that Moroccans are free to choose Arabic, Amazigh, Hassani, or Hebrew names, provided they respect morality and public order. Since then, and under decree No. 2.22.04 implementing Law 36.21, civil registry officers must accept all declared names, even if they raise concerns, and refer them to a higher committee for a decision. This committee must provide a justification, with results communicated digitally to both the officer and the applicant.
Morocco World
13 hours ago
- Morocco World
South Africa's Last Push to to Keep Polisario Relevant
Rabat – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa is mounting a last-ditch effort to prop up the Polisario Front as its support across Africa fades. Leaning on loyal ANC allies, he has arranged carefully staged meetings with Polisario figures at recent summits, a move that highlights the group's shrinking network and growing dependence on South Africa's backing in the face of Morocco's rising influence over Western Sahara. At the First African Investment Summit on Water held in South Africa on August 13-14, Polisario's delegation, led by their 'Foreign Minister' Mohamed Yeslem Beissat, met with South African Minister of Water and Sanitation, Pemmy Majodina, herself an ANC member. Meanwhile, in Accra, a meeting took place between Abdelkader Taleb Omar, a Polisario representative, and Jeffrey Radebe, Ramaphosa's special envoy, during a summit of African political parties. Radebe, a former ANC minister, hosted the encounter. The ANC under Ramaphosa has visibly ramped up its support for the Polisario following former President Jacob Zuma's public endorsement of Morocco's position on Western Sahara. Zuma, leader of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, visited Morocco last month and met with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita . South Africa's government strongly protested the visit, notably because the South African flag was displayed during Zuma's meeting, which the government felt implied official endorsement. The Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) lodged a formal objection. Zuma's MK Party, which split from the ANC, published a document endorsing Morocco's autonomy plan and rejecting Polisario's claims. The text affirms that Western Sahara historically belongs to Morocco and commends the 1975 Green March as a liberation moment. This stance marks a sharp departure from the ANC's policy. Read also: South Africa's MK Party Recognizes Morocco's Sovereignty Over Western Sahara The party later hosted a press briefing, during which the spokesperson of the party dismissed criticism from the South African government and said their foreign policy is 'directionless.' The spokesperson said that the party would continue to push for African unity under Zuma's leadership, adding that supporting Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara is part of this vision. South Africa has long supported the self-styled Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). Meanwhile, over the past years, Morocco has made significant headway in winning international support for its 2007 autonomy proposal for Western Sahara. The US recognized Moroccan sovereignty in 2020. Two years later, Spain endorsed Morocco's autonomy plan, calling it the most realistic and credible solution. In July 2024, France made a strong shift by formally backing Morocco's claim as the sole basis for a just, lasting settlement, followed by investments and diplomatic agreements. The UK joined this growing list in June 2025, describing the plan as 'the most credible, viable and pragmatic' solution, placing it alongside the US and France as UN Security Council members supporting Rabat. Other African nations, including Kenya and Ghana, have also recently thrown their support behind the autonomy proposal. This cascade of recognition, from Western powers to African nations, reflects a broader breakdown of the Polisario's diplomatic isolation. Tags: MoroccoPolisarioSouth AfricaWestern sahara
Morocco World
15 hours ago
- Morocco World
Morocco Offers 200 University Scholarships to Niger for 2025-2026
Marrakech – Morocco has strengthened its position as a leading educational hub in Africa and deepened its bilateral cooperation with Niger by offering 200 university scholarships for the 2025-2026 academic year. This initiative aims to foster educational exchange and contribute to Niger's development through human capacity building. According to the Nigerien News Agency (ANP), the scholarship program was announced during a meeting of the Niger-Morocco Inter-States committee held from August 4-6, at the headquarters of the Niger Agency for Allocations and Scholarships (ANAB) in Niamey. The scholarship offer includes 150 places for university and technical training and 50 for professional training in fields such as medicine, engineering, sciences, literature, law, economics, and professional training. 'The higher education in Morocco remains a preferred choice, thanks to the quality of training and the welcoming conditions offered to international students,' noted Idé Oumarou Amadou, President of ANAB's Board of Directors, pointing to the growing interest of Nigerien students in Moroccan higher education institutions. The Moroccan delegation, led by Jaafar Debbarh, Chargé d'Affaires at the Moroccan Embassy in Niamey, reaffirmed 'the Kingdom of Morocco's commitment to strengthening bilateral relations in the academic field, in accordance with the vision of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, placing human capital at the heart of South-South cooperation.' At the conclusion of the visit on August 6, the Moroccan delegation met with Niger's Minister of Higher Education Mamadou Saidou. Both parties expressed 'their full satisfaction with the quality of exchanges and the spirit of cooperation that prevailed.' This scholarship program continues a long-standing cooperation between Rabat and Niamey that began in 1976. Since its launch in 1990, the Moroccan scholarship program for Niger has enabled more than 2,000 Nigerien students to study in Morocco, with approximately 700 currently pursuing their education here. The bilateral cooperation extends beyond education, covering various sectors including religious training, food security, public health, sustainable agriculture, culture, transportation, civil aviation, hydraulics, energy, security, and counter-terrorism efforts. Morocco's increasing role as an educational destination is powerfully showcased by a recent Campus France report on 'Global Student Mobility,' which shows that Morocco hosted 22,000 foreign students in 2022. This positions it as one of the main host countries in the Middle East and North Africa region, after Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, and Iran. The report also reveals that Morocco ranks first as a country of origin for foreign students in France, with 43,354 Moroccan nationals representing 10% of the total foreign student population in France for the 2023-2024 academic year. Moroccan students particularly excel in engineering schools, where 'one in five foreign students is Moroccan,' representing 19% of the 32,000 enrolled. Meanwhile, Gabon has recently announced a shift in its scholarship policy, naming Morocco as a preferred destination for its students. Starting from 2025-2026, Gabon will prioritize scholarships for studies in Morocco and other African countries over Western nations, citing both cost efficiency and higher return rates of graduates. According to Gabonese officials, the average cost per student in Morocco is approximately $9,174, significantly lower than costs in Western countries. Read also: China's Tsinghua University Launches First Scholarship Program for Moroccan, Arab Students
