The findings come from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) in Sweden, which tracks global arms transfers.

Itslatest report, published this week, shows Moroccos imports of major weapons rose by 12 percent between 2021 and 2025 compared with the 2016-2020 period.

Major weapons include equipment such as armoured vehicles, fighter jets, warships andmissilesystems.

Morocco now ranks 28th in the world among arms importing countries, asRabatcontinues to modernise its armed forces in a region marked by persistent tensions with neighbouringAlgeria, the report said.

Algerias own arms importsfell by 78 percentover the same period.

But Sipri urged caution with the figures, noting that Algeria tends to be discreet about its military purchases.

Climate change threatens Morocco's camels, and with them its cultural heritage

Three main suppliers

The report also lists Moroccos main arms suppliers.

TheUnited Statesaccounted for around 60 percent of deliveries to the country between 2021 and 2025, followed byIsraelwith around 24 percent andFrancewith about 10 percent.

The figures point to a recent strengthening of military cooperation between Rabat and Israel, particularly insurveillancesystems.

Elsewhere in Africa, the trend was very different. Arms imports by other countries on the continent fell by 41 percent between 2021 and 2025.

During that period, the US supplied 19 percent of weapons deliveries to Africa, followed by China, Russia and France.

Originally published on RFI