Skip to main content

The CIA declassifies a document that reveals Morocco's true motives in the 1963 Sand War

The recent declassification of a CIA document dated August 23, 1957, sheds new light on French intentions regarding oil fields in Algeria and plans for post-independence Algeria. This document provides valuable details on French economic and political strategies, as well as the geopolitical dynamics of the era.

French Intentions for the Algerian Sahara

According to the document, France intended to retain the Algerian Sahara at all costs, planning to divide it into two separate departments. This decision reflects the strategic importance of this resource-rich region for France. The Sahara, with its vast oil and gas reserves, represented a major economic stake.

Infrastructure Strategy and Cooperation with Spain

France did not plan to build pipelines to the north of Algeria to avoid any energy dependence on an independent Algeria. Instead, discussions were underway with Spain to evacuate oil and gas via Western Sahara, then under Spanish control. The Spanish authorities, enthusiastic about the idea, had even guaranteed their intention to maintain their presence in Western Sahara.

Border Issues with Libya

The document also addresses border tensions with Libya, which claimed territories including the Zarzaitine, Edjeleh, and Tiguentourine fields. To resolve this issue, France allegedly bribed the Libyan Prime Minister at the time, Ben Halim, to definitively settle the borders in France's favor. This aspect highlights the political and diplomatic maneuvers employed to secure French economic interests in Algeria.

Geopolitical Context and Consequences

A particularly noteworthy aspect of the document is the coincidence between the oil-rich regions of southwestern Algeria and the territorial claims of Hassan II, the King of Morocco. These claims led to the Sand War in October 1963. Given the close relations between American intelligence services and Morocco, it is legitimate to wonder if information may have been leaked to Morocco.

Although the concept of the "Greater Morocco" emerged in 1955, before the discovery of oil resources in Algeria, the richness of the coveted area undoubtedly reinforced Moroccan ambitions. A swift war against Algeria would have allowed Morocco to seize a region rich in hydrocarbons and iron ore, ensuring a quick return on investment.

Conclusion and Perspectives

Despite the significant revelations, the CIA document has not been fully declassified. Two of the six pages remain secret, retaining potentially crucial information about the geopolitical and geostrategic interests at play.

This information provides a new perspective on French motivations and strategies, as well as the complex geopolitical dynamics surrounding Algeria's independence. They also underline Algeria's strategic importance in the international context, even after its independence.





References



 


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Morocco persists in communicating imaginary projects to counter Algeria's concrete and operational initiatives in favor of its African depth

  After the imaginary Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project , Morocco recently embarked on a new pipe dream entitled: access for Sahelian countries to the Atlantic Ocean. The only thing serious about these projects, whose feasibility and financing are still unclear, are the Pharaonic means of communication used by Morocco to hammer home its fallacious and intellectually dishonest messages.  We should also note the diplomatic efforts made by the Moroccans to organize colloquia in Marrakech with African leaders of dubious morality and mediocre intellectual level, in order to present a project with vague outlines and objectives.  We can legitimately wonder why the foreign ministers of the Sahel countries decided to travel to Marrakech, as the project to give the Sahel countries access to the Atlantic is far from being an easily achievable project, as it faces a number of geopolitical, geostrategic and financial challenges: Was Mauritania consulted (it did not take part in the Marrakech mee
3 comments
Read more

Algerian-Moroccan relations through the media prism and Moroccan-led mediation attempts

On August 24, 2021, Algeria took the historic step of officially severing diplomatic relations with Morocco. This move, seen as a direct response to Morocco's hostile actions, highlights a series of political, historical and geopolitical tensions that have plagued relations between the two neighbors for decades. This summary explores the major reasons for this rupture, integrating media dynamics, unsuccessful attempts at mediation, and historical grievances accumulated against Morocco. Relations between Algeria and Morocco have historically been marked by geopolitical tensions, notably due to the Western Sahara conflict and deep-seated political rivalries. This climate of mistrust is exacerbated by media coverage on both sides, with Moroccan media playing a key role in maintaining an obsession with Algeria, while Moroccan attempts to seek international mediation to ease these tensions remain unsuccessful. 1. Historical and political background The rivalry between Algeria and Morocc
Post a Comment
Read more