«Major arms imports by African states fell by 44% between 2015–2019 and 2020–2024», reveals the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published on Monday, March 10. This decline is mainly due to reduced arms imports by the continent's two largest importers: Algeria (-73%) and Morocco (-26%), the Swedish institute notes, omitting Egypt, which saw a 44% drop. According to the report, Algeria's arms acquisitions declined between 2020 and 2024 after peaking between 2015 and 2019. Its top three suppliers remain Russia (48%), China (19%), and Germany (14%). For Morocco, the leading suppliers are the United States (64%), France (15%), and Israel (11%). However, SIPRI anticipates an increase in Morocco's arms imports in the coming years. The potential return of Donald Trump to the White House is expected to facilitate major arms deals between Morocco and the U.S. Under the Biden administration, Washington was reluctant to deliver next-generation weapons to the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), prompting Rabat to seek alternative suppliers, including Israel. This is not the first time SIPRI has reported a decline in arms imports by Morocco and Algeria. Its March 2024 report had already recorded a drop in imports by Algeria (-77%) and Morocco (-46%) between 2014–2018 and 2019–2022. Despite these declines, both Maghreb neighbors continue to increase their defense budgets.
