In 2018, Morocco’s military spending reached $3.5 billion. During the same period, Algeria spent $9.6 billion on defense, revealed SIPRI in a recent report on global military spending.
As UN Security Council’s members are holding discussions on the Western Sahara draft resolution, the Poilisario Front accuses Morocco of spreading «fake news», quoting sources in New York.
When Abdelaziz Bouteflika won presidential elections in Algeria, he promised to restore diplomatic ties with Morocco. However, once in power, the politician adopted a conciliatory stance towards the Kingdom.
On Tuesday, Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced that he is leaving office, following weeks of protests. The speaker of Algeria’s upper house is expected to replace the 82-year-old politician as interim leader, amid questions related to his «Moroccan citizenship».
The leader of Algeria’s Justice and Development Front party has announced that the current Speaker of the country’s Council of the Nation, the parliament’s upper chamber, could not run the country if President Abdelaziz Bouteflika resigns. To him, Abdelkader Bensalah’s Moroccan origins are the problem.