Morocco Emerges as Africa’s Top Arms Importer Amid Regional Tensions, Sipri Report Shows
Morocco has surpassed all other African nations to become the continent’s largest importer of major conventional weapons over the past five years, according to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). The findings highlight a significant military modernization drive in Rabat, occurring against a backdrop of persistent diplomatic and security strains with neighbouring Algeria.
The Sipri Arms Transfers Database, released this week, indicates that Morocco’s imports of major weapons—including armoured vehicles, combat aircraft, warships, and missile systems—increased by 12% during the period 2021–2025 compared to the preceding five-year span of 2016–2020. This growth has elevated Morocco to the 28th position globally among arms-importing countries.
The report explicitly links this procurement trend to the ongoing regional tensions with Algeria. It notes that Morocco’s force modernization is taking place in a region marked by “persistent tensions” with its eastern neighbour. In stark contrast, Algeria’s own major weapons imports plummeted by 78% over the same 2021–2025 period. Sipri cautions, however, that Algeria’s figures may be underreported due to the country’s historical discretion regarding its military acquisitions.
Three nations accounted for the vast majority of Morocco’s recent arms deliveries. The United States was the principal supplier, providing approximately 60% of the equipment between 2021 and 2025. Israel followed with around 24%, and France contributed about 10%. This distribution points to a notable strengthening of military and security cooperation between Morocco and Israel in recent years, particularly in areas such as surveillance and intelligence systems.
The broader African trend diverges sharply from Morocco’s experience. Across the continent, overall arms imports fell by 41% between the 2016–2020 and 2021–2025 periods. During the most recent five-year window, the United States was the largest external supplier to Africa, accounting for 19% of deliveries, followed by China, Russia, and France.
The Sipri data underscores a shifting security landscape in North Africa, where Morocco’s proactive military buildup contrasts with both its neighbour’s reported procurement decline and the continent-wide downturn in arms acquisitions. The report provides a quantitative foundation for understanding the military dimensions of the long-standing rivalry between Rabat and Algiers, suggesting that national defence postures continue to be shaped by bilateral friction even as other African states reduce their major weapons purchases.
