BACKGROUND OF MOROCCAN-ALGERIAN BORDER SKIRMISHES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00429A001200040038-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 17, 2004
• Sequence Number: 38
• Publication Date: October 29, 1963
• Content Type: IM

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Current Intelligence
29 October 1963
SUBJECT: Background of Moroccan-Algerian Border
Skirmishes
1. The southern--Saharan--stretch of the
Moroccan-Algerian border from Figuig to Spanish;
Sahara has never been demarcated. During France's
administration of Morocco and Algeria, successive
redefinitions of the administrative line separating
the French Moroccan from the French Algerian juris-
diction tended to favor Algeria, which legally was
a part of France, while Morocco was only a protector-
ate. Since Morocco became independent in 1956, the
Moroccans--particularly the nationalist press--have
laid claim to a substantial portion of the Sahara.
2. In 1958, when the Algerian rebels were
operating in this Saharan area, the French and Moroc-
cans informally agreed on respective operational
zones so as to avoid conflict between their forces.
Under this agreement, the "de facto" zone of French
occupation was extended somewhat north and west'of
earlier lines, but the new line was not accorded
any legal status. This line, however, apparently
is the one adopted by the Algerians. The Moroccans
insist that the true boundary is an earlier line,
which places the posts of Hassi Beida and Tinjoub
in Morocco. These posts are important because they
are on a main caravan trail linking Colomb-Bechar
and Tindouf.
3. After Algeria became independent in mid-1962,
border difficulties developed all along the southern
Moroccan area. Several former French posts actually
changed hands. However, few of these establishments
were consistently occupied; many of them were in-
habited only occasionally.
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6. King Hassan, citing a 1961 agreement with
Ferhat Abbas, then premier of the provisional Algerian
Government, has vainly attempted to persuade President
Ben Bella to negotiate with him on Morocco's terri-
torial claims. Ben Bella has refused to negotiate,
and his position was strengthened by the stand of
the Organization of African Unity, which at its: in-
augural meeting in May called for adherence to'Afri-
can boundaries as defined by the ex-colonial powers.
7. Hassan has thus far refrained from seizin
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