DPMN Bulletin: Volume IX, Number 3, June 2002

This article offers a review and a critical appraisal of the economic and security apparatus created in North Africa as a way of collectively dealing with common challenges. Accordingly, the article looks at the Maghreb Region as one vehicle that was set up in 1989 by five North African states as a means to drive their efforts towards greater co-operation and unity.

Beginning with a short background to the region as a way of examining the reasons and the need for such a regional body, the article then provides an analysis of the functioning of the structure and the extent to which various challenges that emerged have prevented it from operating as a regional body. The article would make use of the contested territory of Western Sahara between Morocco and Polisario Front, as a case that has contributed to the challenges faced by the region.

The strategic relevance of the region lies in the fact that, collectively, it boasts large phosphate, oil, and gas and it is a transit center to southern Europe.2  For instance, in 2001 Algeria’s oil production was estimated to have been 827,000 barrels per day and its key trading partners are most of the Western European countries.3  Economic prospects for the region are high and this is indicated, for instance, by the construction of a gas pipeline between the region and Europe.

The five African countries that are situated north of the Sahara, namely Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia, have for a very long time attempted to forge regional integration and co-operation. The attempts to forge regional unity dates back to the 1960s during the height of anti-colonial struggles and independence in Africa. From these early stages the first signs of an interest to forge regional integration occurred when the ministers of finance from Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia.4  The ministers met at a conference in which they endorsed the formation of the Conseil Permanent Consultativ du Maghreb (CPCM) that will incorporate the four states. Among other things the aim of this council was to:

· Assist the countries in developing well co-ordinated regional economic plans.

· Create a mechanism to boost inter-regional trade.

· Draft plans for the region’s interaction with the rest of the world, especially the European Community.5 

The aforementioned attempt, however, did not manage to move beyond the conceptualisation stage as a result of, inter alia, the different political challenges that the each state was faced with at the time.6 The idea, however, did not perish and it was later on revived in the mid-1980s. It was during this time that the Heads of State from these countries gathered in 1988 where they mandated a commission to draft protocols and a treaty that would govern the functioning of a North African regional entity. Thus, in February 1989, a co-operation treaty was signed during a summit held in Marrakech, Morocco, giving birth to the Maghreb Union made up of Morocco, Mauritania, Libya, Algeria and Tunisia.

The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA) came into being during the time when the world was undergoing significant socio-political and economic changes. One of these was the political transformation that was already in sight in Eastern Europe and elsewhere: the fall of communism. These transformations signified the alterations that were to take place in the world, especially when it comes to economic interactions and security co-operation among various countries.

The UMA enshrined within its objectives the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of its member states and its primary objectives were the following:

· The establishment of common defence issues and security co-operation.

· The promotion of trade through free movement of people, goods and services.

· The establishment of a free-trade area for the region.7

Since its inception the UMA has taken steps towards forging regional unity. For instance, several countries have entered into a number of bilateral agreements aimed at greater economic co-operation. Furthermore, since 1989 the regional structure came up with about fifteen various conventions covering issues of economic co-operation; however, no meaningful attempts have been made to ensure that such conventions are implemented.

The inability to implement any of these agreements prompted the Ministers of Foreign Affairs from the five member countries to call for a "moratorium" on all efforts aimed at forging greater regional unity. In reaching such a decision the ministers had hoped that the focus of the region would be on attempting to start to implement the already existing protocols that had been previously entered into. However, such a decision did not result in more co-ordinated efforts towards regional integration because within two years after it was made UMA ceased to function.

That regional economic integration is a process filled with a number of challenges and that issues of political differences have a bearing on how states relates to one another is reflected by the failure of UMA to achieve its objectives.

The last summit of this regional organisation was in 1995; it has failed to hold any summits since then. One of the main reasons why the union has failed to function relates to the political differences that have surfaced, mainly between Morocco and Algeria. Specifically, the differences relate to the varying approaches that both countries have chosen to adopt regarding the dispute over the territory of Western Sahara. At the roots of this tension is the continued conflict between Rabat and the Polisario Front over who between the two should assume rightful sovereignty of the Western Sahara territory, Morocco and Algeria stand on either side of the divide.

Morocco has been locked in a bitter small scale, albeit destructive, war with the Polisario Front over the control of Western Sahara. Since the resumption of hostilities in the 1970s, Algeria has always supported the Polisario Front and Algiers has offered all sort of assistance to the movement. For instance, the Sahrawi People Democratic Republic (SADR) government in exile is based in Algeria. Furthermore, Algeria is host to thousands of Western Saharan refugees based in Tindouf and most of whom have been in Algeria for almost two decades.

The conflicting views and the approach that both countries have regarding this conflict played themselves out at a regional level resulting in the failure of the Union to forge ahead with its plans for regional unity. At the last gathering of the Union, Morocco voiced its concerns over the continued support that Algeria has been giving to the Polisario Front and it was precisely for this reason that the former called for the suspension of UMA activities. On the other hand, besides maintaining its support to the Polisario Front, Algiers has alleged that Morocco is harbouring radical Islamic rebels who are fighting against Algeria.

That the tension between the two countries had reached boiling point was reflected by a decision taken by Algeria to close down its border with Morocco.8  As the tension within the Union builds up, other issues started to emerge, driving the region further apart. For instance, when Morocco entered into bilateral agreements with the European Union (EU), Algeria criticised the move on the basis that it was only going to benefit Morocco and not the whole region. This free trade agreement came into effect in December 1999 and, among other things, covers the free movement of goods over a period of twelve years.

As a result of this simmering tension, for a period of about five years there was no formal interaction among North Africa states at a regional level. An attempt was made to revive the ailing Union in 2001 when the ministers of foreign affairs met to try and iron out the existing differences within the Union and thereby revive it. The meeting, however, did not amount to anything since the differences between Morocco and Algeria soon re-surfaced and it had to be adjourned.

Historically, the question of Western Sahara has always appeared as one of the thorny issues that if resolved might lead to greater regional integration and, if not, is sure to result in tensions such as the one that currently exists. To be sure, this article is not arguing that this is the one and only problem facing the Union, but it is the main issue that has stalled its progress. The fact that Morocco ceased its membership to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1984 in protest against a decision by the other member states to recognise the SADR is an indication that the Union was faced with a complex problem. Therefore, the resolution of the tension between Algeria and Morocco at a regional level could have served as the building blocks for an end of the latter’s tensions at a continental level.

The above discussion somehow makes it difficult to reach any optimistic observations about the future of the UMA. That is, there has not been any signs that either of the parties (Morocco and Algeria) are interested (at least not yet) in shifting their positions when it comes to the issue of Western Sahara. An attempt was made in 1996 to search for common ground between these two states when Libya and Tunisia pledged to play role of "mediator" between the Morocco and Algeria.9  Libyan and Tunisian authorities saw the dispute over the territory of Western Sahara as the "direct cause" of the crisis within the Union and therefore addressing it was seen as going to yield positive result for the region.10  Such a situation deserves a cautious approach that could start with the intensification of regional efforts within North Africa to bridge the gap between these two countries, thus laying the basis for finding proper solutions to the Western Sahara situation.

1 The author works for African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD). However, the views expressed here are those of the author and should not be regarded as those of ACCORD.

 2 Energy Information Administration, Arab Maghreb Union, www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/maghreb.html.

3 ibid.

4 South Africa Department of Foreign Affairs, Arab Maghreb Region (UMA), www.dfa.gov.za/for-relations/ multilateral.amu.htm.

 5 ibid.

 6 ibid.

7 South African Department of Foreign Affairs, op cit., p. 1.

8 Algeria had previously faced a similar crisis with Mauritania, which saw the two countries cut diplomatic ties in 1981 only to resume in 1985.

9 Agence France Presse, "Libya, Tunisia to mediate between Algeria, Morocco over Western Sahara." October, 30 1996.

10 Ibid.