Authoritarian transformations in the Maghreb: the case of the securitisation of Algerian-Moroccan relations

There is an ongoing arms race intensifying today between Algeria and Morocco. The article examines the root causes of this arms race, namely, its links to the Western Sahara Conflict. The article focuses not only on the strains this conflict has caused in the diplomatic relations between the two neighbouring Maghrebi states but also on the increase in arms expenditures by both states. One key point the article addresses regards the authoritarian politics in both Algeria and Morocco that the arms race and the Western Sahara conflict have caused.