The Ksar Ich region, in the province of Figuig, experienced a new deployment of the Algerian army this Thursday. The residents denounce provocations, including fires and an incursion beyond the demarcation line, without an official reaction from Rabat.
Tensions are rising on the eastern border of the Kingdom. According to journalist and activist Oualid Kébir, elements of the Algerian border guards have carried out an incursion , this Wednesday morning, inside Moroccan territory at the locality of Ich, in the province of Figuig.
New tensions have erupted at the Moroccan-Algerian border after warning shots fired by the Algerian army near farmers in Figuig . The residents denounce intimidation tactics and an attempt to unilaterally redefine the border line.
Algerian soldiers opened fire on Monday near the Moroccan border, close to Ksar Ich, causing panic among the residents . This incident, described as a provocation by civil society, has led to the preventive deployment of the Royal Armed Forces.
The United States has extended until this Monday the confidential talks held in Madrid between Morocco, Algeria , Mauritania and the Polisario Front. Washington is increasing the pressure to obtain a framework agreement on the Sahara within three months.
The Federation of the Democratic Left (FGD) has summoned the government to act following the recent movements of the Algerian army in the border area of Ksar Ich . Deputy Fatima Tamni is demanding emergency measures to protect the historical rights of local farmers and a diplomatic management of the file.
The recent movements of the Algerian army in the locality of Ich (province of Figuig) revive border tensions. For the expert in international relations Ahmed Noureddine, these maneuvers are not simple technical adjustments related to the 1972 convention, but a calculated provocation aimed at dragging Morocco into an open conflict. A massive "disinformation operation"
Recently released satellite photos show the appearance of ground markers in the Ich border area, which falls within Morocco’s Figuig province. According to specialized sources, these markers may have been installed by the Algerian army inside Moroccan territory , reigniting residents’ fears five years after farmers were expelled from the Arja area.
An Israeli tourist waved her country’s flag at the border between Morocco and Algeria on Thursday, January 22. This gesture, which occurred at the Bine Lajraf site near Saïdia, immediately triggered a wave of anger among the residents and witnesses present.
Despite the warm welcome given to Algerian supporters during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco , relations between the two populations are undergoing constant erosion. Between the closure of land borders since 1994, the diplomatic rupture of 2021, and the influence of social networks, the historical link that united the two countries seems to be fading in favor of mutual ignorance.
After their defeat in the quarter-finals against Nigeria, the players of the Algerian national team left Moroccan territory on Sunday evening. This departure, organized from Rabat airport, highlighted the logistical complexities linked to the breakdown of diplomatic relations between the two neighbors, forcing the delegation to call on a third-party company to return to Algiers.
While social networks are flooded with videos advocating fraternity between Moroccans and Algerians on the sidelines of the 2025 AFCON, the political reality remains icy. Between the travel restrictions imposed by Algiers and the warnings of analysts, the "Khawa Khawa" atmosphere struggles to mask the persistent tensions surrounding this competition.