Agricultural authorities in several parts of North and West Africa are maintaining surveillance for desert locust activity following recent reports of small swarms detected near Algeria’s southwestern border. The region stretching from Mauritania through Western Sahara, southern Morocco, and into southwestern Algeria forms part of the western range of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria. When environmental conditions allow, locust populations can expand rapidly and move across national borders. How Locust Outbreaks BeginDesert locust populations normally exist in a “solitary phase,” with insects dispersed over wide areas in low numbers. Monitoring of desert locust activity in North Africa and the Sahel is often coordinated with international tracking systems and regional cooperation programs that share information about weather conditions, vegetation growth, and insect movements.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 11, 2026 12:48 UTC