While the Arab Maghreb Union has been at a standstill for several years and relations between Algeria and Morocco have broken down for more than two years, the dream of Maghreb unity has not been abandoned.
It is the Algerian Foreign Minister who confirms this in an interview with the Algerian journalist of Al Jazeera, Khadidja Benguenna, which will be broadcast soon.
The Arab Maghreb Union was created in 1989 by the five Maghreb countries (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya and Mauritania) and did not function for several years, largely due to the deterioration of relations between the two main countries from which it exists, Algeria and Morocco.
Although the latter decided to go back on its commitment to accept the organization of a self-determination referendum in Western Sahara, it seriously blamed Algeria after a terrorist attack in Marrakesh in 1994.
Algeria responded to the visa requirement for Algerian citizens by closing the border between the two countries for almost 30 years, which has remained the case to this day. After a series of Moroccan actions that Algeria described as “hostile acts,” Algiers decided in August 2021 to break off diplomatic relations with Morocco.
Ahmed Attaf: “The dream of Maghreb unity can never be destroyed”
In his interview with Khadidja Benguenna, Ahmed Attaf was asked about the status of relations with Morocco. “We can expect Algeria to focus more on a quick solution with Morocco,” replied the head of Algerian diplomacy. “We, like other states, are aware of the importance of building the Arab Maghreb and brotherhood,” he added.
The head of Algerian diplomacy then assured that this “dream will always remain” because “it can never be destroyed.” “I look forward to the day we try to get this building back up and running,” he said.
Ahmed Attaf could not say when this will happen, either now or in several generations, but he considered it necessary to “prepare the ground.” “Our role and our responsibility is to prepare the ground, that is the realistic demand that can be asked of us and we are prepared to do it.”
Palestine: Attaf criticizes Arab countries
Ahmed Attaf mentioned another blockage, namely that of the Palestinian issue. He immediately pointed out the disagreements between Arab countries on the issue, which “leads to weakness on the ground.”
“The world has not discussed a political solution to the Palestinian issue for more than 25 years. “The last person to launch a political initiative was President Clinton in the late 1990s,” recalls the head of Algerian diplomacy, who regrets that the Palestinian issue was not on the “international agenda” during that time.
“I recently met with ministers and realized that the Palestinian issue is no longer at the forefront,” he testifies. For Ahmed Attaf, this situation is due to the fact that there was “no insistence on the part of Arab countries to include the Palestinian issue in the international agenda.”