North Africa is entering a new and dangerous phase. Morocco and Algeria are spending billions on weapons, fighter jets, missiles, and defense systems. Their rivalry is quickly turning into one of the biggest military competitions in Africa.
The roots of this conflict go back more than 50 years. When Spain left Western Sahara in 1975, Morocco claimed the territory. A separatist group called the Polisario Front began fighting for independence for the Sahrawi people living in the region.
Algeria strongly supports the Polisario Front. Morocco controls most of the territory today, but the conflict has never been fully resolved. A United Nations ceasefire in 1991 stopped large scale fighting, but a planned referendum on independence never happened.
Now the conflict has returned to the global stage. Powerful countries such as the United States, Russia, and China are building alliances with the two rivals. The result is a growing arms race that could shape the
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