Moroccan and French armed forces have launched joint military drills dubbed “Chergui 2025” in the southeastern province of Errachidia, near the Algerian border, in an exercise designed to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation but which has already sparked diplomatic unease in Algiers.
According to a statement posted on the official Facebook page of the French Embassy in Morocco, the maneuvers aim to boost coordination between the two armies and consolidate their strategic partnership in security and defense. The drills, held in a challenging desert environment, seek to enhance tactical capabilities and interoperability under demanding operational conditions.
“Chergui 2025” focuses on improving the capacity of both militaries to conduct joint operations smoothly across multiple scenarios. The exercises encompass several branches, including ground forces, air operations, and space defense coordination, reflecting the continued evolution of military cooperation between Rabat and Paris.
The Franco-Moroccan partnership in defense has long been a cornerstone of their bilateral relations, encompassing training programs, intelligence sharing, and joint operational planning. The current drills are viewed as part of that ongoing collaboration aimed at developing modern and adaptive military readiness in desert warfare contexts.
However, the exercise has not gone unnoticed by Algeria, which reacted sharply after learning of the maneuvers’ proximity to its borders. The Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the French Ambassador in Algiers, Stéphane Romatet, to express concern over what it described as a “military project of a sensitive nature” being conducted near Algerian territory.
In a statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry said that its Secretary-General, Lounès Magramane, met the French envoy to convey Algeria’s “deep concerns” about the implications of the “Chergui 2025” exercise, emphasizing what it called the “potentially destabilizing” symbolism of holding such drills so close to its borders.
The Algerian side reportedly described the maneuvers as “provocative,” warning that they could contribute to further tension in the already fraught regional context involving Algeria, Morocco, and France. The ministry requested clarifications from Paris while urging respect for the “principles of good neighborliness.”
France, for its part, has emphasized that the exercise is purely technical and operational, centered on improving desert combat readiness, and is not directed against any country. Officials in Paris reaffirmed that the cooperation with Morocco falls within a long-standing defense partnership framework.
Moroccan sources also highlighted that the training aims to refine the interoperability of both forces in counterterrorism and peacekeeping missions, particularly relevant to the Sahel region, where instability continues to pose major security challenges.
The choice of Errachidia for “Chergui 2025” reflects Morocco’s strategic interest in strengthening its operational readiness in border areas characterized by harsh terrain and extreme climate conditions.
Observers note that the exercise takes place amid broader regional uncertainty, marked by shifting alliances, rising geopolitical competition, and renewed military assertiveness across North Africa and the Sahel.
Tensions between Morocco and Algeria have remained high since Algiers severed diplomatic relations with Rabat in 2021, accusing the kingdom of “hostile acts” — a charge Morocco has consistently rejected.
The latest reaction from Algiers over the Franco-Moroccan drill underscores the fragility of the regional security environment and the sensitivity surrounding border-related military activity.
Diplomatic analysts argue that while Algeria’s response reflects its strategic discomfort with the deepening Moroccan-French partnership, both Rabat and Paris are likely to continue prioritizing defense cooperation given their shared security interests in counterterrorism and regional stability.
“Chergui 2025,” therefore, symbolizes not only a test of tactical coordination between the two armies but also a reminder of the complex geopolitical balances shaping North Africa’s defense landscape.
Despite the diplomatic friction, both Morocco and France insist the joint drills will proceed as planned, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining a trusted and transparent military partnership grounded in mutual respect and shared strategic priorities.
