Algerian authorities arrested four Moroccan nationals on Sunday, accusing them of being part of a spy ring allegedly aiming to “destabilize” the country. The arrests come just days before Algeria’s presidential election.
The suspects were detained in Tlemcen, a city near the Moroccan border, where officials claim they were involved in an espionage network targeting Algeria’s security and administrative institutions.
According to the prosecutor’s office in Tlemcen, the Moroccan nationals were placed in provisional detention as part of a broader investigation into alleged spying activities on behalf of a foreign country.
Algeria has accused three of the Moroccans of entering the country illegally. “This network recruited Moroccan and Algerian nationals with the aim of undermining Algerian security,” stated the public prosecutor’s office.
The arrests coincide with the country’s preparation for the presidential election next Saturday. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, who is seeking re-election, faces competition from moderate Islamist Abdelaali Hassani and socialist candidate Youssef Aouchiche, though Tebboune is widely expected to win.
This is not the first time Algeria has leveled accusations against Morocco for allegedly attempting to destabilize it politically. In July 2021, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused Morocco of using the Israeli-made Pegasus software to spy on Algerian officials and citizens. Algeria also accused Morocco of being behind the wildfires that claimed 90 lives in August 2021.
Following the incidents, the Algerian ministry claimed that Morocco was “systematically” targeting its national interests, yet failed to provide any evidence. A few months later, Algeria’s army chief accused Morocco of conspiring against the country in a speech delivered at an army base near the border.
More recently, Algeria accused Morocco and Israel of launching a cyberattack against the official Algerian News Agency’s website, stating that their cyber defense units successfully thwarted the attack.
Algeria has historically galvanized “nationalist fervor” against Morocco, according to the Atlantic Council, a US think tank.
The country has “constantly needed to create external enemies to mobilize national support and divert public opinion from the country’s economic, social, and political problems,” the think tank maintains.