61 Moroccan nationals arrested by Algeria on sabotage suspicion
Algerian authorities announced the arrest of 61 Moroccan nationals earlier this month on suspicion of planning sabotage acts. The detainees, including a former Moroccan soldier, allegedly entered Algeria via Tunisia and are accused of undermining security and public order. This development occurs amid longstanding tensions between Algeria and Morocco over Western Sahara, with diplomatic ties severed since 2021.
Brève Publié le (Africa/Lagos, UTC+1) · date de l'événement : 2026-10-01
Algerian authorities announced on Sunday that they arrested 61 Moroccan nationals earlier this month on suspicion of planning acts of sabotage within Algeria.
The Moroccan General Directorate of National Security stated that the suspects were part of an “international Moroccan criminal network.” Among those detained is a former soldier in the Moroccan army. The group reportedly entered Algeria through mountain trails from neighboring Tunisia.
Algerian officials claim the suspects were preparing to commit acts that would undermine security and public order.
This arrest comes amid prolonged tensions between Algeria and Morocco, primarily over the Western Sahara dispute. The United Nations considers Western Sahara a non-self-governing territory, though Morocco has controlled most of it for nearly five decades and views it as part of its sovereign territory.
Algeria supports the pro-independence Polisario Front, which advocates for Western Sahara’s self-determination. The land border between Algeria and Morocco has been closed since 1994, and diplomatic relations were severed in 2021.
Recent international developments include a United Nations Security Council resolution in May endorsing Morocco’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara as a potentially feasible solution to the long-standing conflict.