The Sahel, a new front in the rivalry between Algeria and Morocco

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Rabat and Algiers are deploying competing strategies of influence in the region, as Sahelian states seek to broaden their partnerships For decades, the rivalry between Algeria and Morocco has played out mainly around Western Sahara and the question of leadership in the Maghreb. A former Spanish colony, Western Sahara is claimed by Rabat, which controls most of it, while Algiers supports the Polisario Front, which demands a UN‑backed self‑determination referendum for the Sahrawi people. In parall