"Will a war break out between Morocco and Algeria?" The French newspaper La Figaro asked, after killing three Algerians on the border between Western Sahara and Mauritania, in a bombing attributed to Algeria (by Morocco) that denied it.

The French newspaper notes that the issue of Western Sahara has poisoned relations between Rabat and Algeria for 30 years, and so far the conflict has taken the form of a diplomatic conflict, with each side trying to exert its influence in the UN corridors and exert pressure in its favor.

But Algeria recently escalated the situation with its announcement of a severance of diplomatic relations with Rabat, and its refusal to renew the contract to operate the Maghreb-European gas pipeline from which Algeria exports gas to Spain through a pipeline passing through Morocco, which went into effect this week.

Last September, Algeria closed its airspace and part of the 900-kilometer national road that connects north to south with the city of Agadir, Morocco. 

A former Algerian politician, anonymously, claims that "Moroccans and Algerians have been preparing for war for fifty years. They actually clashed in 1963 during the Sand War. The army is ready, but the beginning of the war requires first and foremost political will."

Algeria is the largest arms buyer in Africa with $ 9.7 billion in 2020, and Morocco has increased its arms spending by 2020 by more than 30% compared to 2019. Together, the two countries represent more than 60% of arms purchases in Africa.

NEWSRAEL: Why this matters!

Morocco has recently joined the Abraham Accords with Israel and in that relatively short period of time, several trade and diplomatic agreements have been signed. It can be assumed that this would include the defense sector and indeed, there was talk this week of Morocco showing interest regarding the Iron Dome system.

Also - an issue that the French newspaper didn't mention is that the beginning of the new tension between the countries is ... Israel, with Algeria saying out loud that they are against the Moroccan ties with Israel.