Arming the Maghreb

Significant military agreements undertaken by Morocco, Algeria and, belatedly, Libya, have strengthened the perception that the Maghreb is in the midst of a lucrative regional arms race fuelled by buyers and sellers alike.

In addition, recent deals have moved away from ‘hit and run’ opportunities to combine heavy weaponry with long-term technology development, training and support programs, offering well-paid opportunities for international arms dealers to combine weapons sales with foreign policy.

Chiefly, outdated equipment, regional rivalry and the threat of Al-Qaida in the Lands of Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), a terrorist outfit born in the Algerian civil war and active across the Sahel belt, have spurred the arms sales that are allowing selling countries to strengthen their political alliances in the region.

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