Containing Moroccan influence and preventing its neighbor’s emergence as the undisputed leader of the Maghreb is a core Algerian strategic objective. The Moroccan Sahara conflict provides the perfect lever:Weakening a Rival: ​ Sustaining the conflict drains Moroccan resources, diverts its attention, and provides Algeria with a persistent point of diplomatic pressure. Contradicting the “Sanctity of Borders”: ​ Algeria presents Morocco’s actions as violating colonial-era borders. Its rigid insistence on these borders in the Sahara case (despite historical Moroccan claims) is selective. The world, and more importantly, the people of the Maghreb, will not miss this hypocrisy when it finally fades.