Western Sahara dispute and its toll on Algerian-Moroccan ties

Recent statements by Moroccan monarch Mohammed VI on the disputed Western Sahara region with Algeria are overshadowing the conflict between the two states on the territory.

King Mohammed said he wanted his country to reopen its land borders with Algeria.

"Morocco will continue to call for the establishment of the Maghreb Union as a strategic choice and an integration project," King Mohammed said on his country's coronation day.

In a surprise move, Algeria called for holding a meeting of the Arab Maghreb Union's foreign ministers. The invitation, Algeria said, is a reflection of its belief in the need for reviving the political, economic and security institutions of the union.

Despite the presence of apparent links between the statements of the Moroccan monarch and the Algerian invitation, some observers downplay the importance of these links. They say this is particularly so, given the feeble Algerian reaction to the statements of King Mohammed.

The Algerian invitation was extended to all the states of the Arab Maghreb, whereas King Mohammed called for opening dialogue with Algeria on the disputed Western Sahara region. Morocco expected the response to come from the Algerian presidency.

The following is an explanation of the standoff over the Western Sahara and the effects of this standoff on relations between Morocco and Algeria.

Roots

The dispute between Morocco and Algeria over the territory started soon after Spain withdrew from it in 1957. This coincided with Moroccan-Mauritanian understandings that angered Algeria.

 Algeria had taken sides with the Polisario Front which called for the independence of the Western Sahara from Morocco.

None of the two parties, namely Algeria and Morocco, was able to present any concessions on the issue, which exacerbated the conflict between them. Nonetheless, the following reasons contributed to making the crisis worse:

1 – Natural wealth

The Western Sahara is of major importance to the countries party to the conflict because of the presence of vast natural resources in it. It has oil, phosphate, and steel. Its coast is also rich with fish.

2 – Geographic location

The Western Sahara is also located in an area that gives it added importance. It borders Morocco in the south, Algeria in the west and Mauritania in the north. The territory is also important for the Polisario Front which wants to build a national homeland in it, away from Morocco.

3 – Algeria out

The fact that Algeria was excluded from the Madrid Accords of 1975 made things worse. Algeria has influence inside Polisario Front. It backed the declaration of founding the Desert Republic in February 1976.

4 – Foreign interference

Both Morocco and Algeria work to influence international opinion on the issue. Algeria succeeded introducing the Western Sahara issue as one of national independence. It also influenced some African states by hammering out economic deals with them, a deal on the export of Algerian natural gas with Nigeria included.

Morocco, on the other hand, succeeded in winning European and American public opinion to its side of the conflict. The US Congress accused Iran recently of backing Polisario Front and helping it carry out terrorist attacks inside Morocco.

Algerian-Moroccan relations

Relations between the two North African states face a number of challenges. Both countries have been escalating their enmity to each other since the signing of the Madrid Accords. However, King Mohammed's latest statements created an atmosphere of optimism.

Nonetheless, the normalization of relations between Morocco and Algeria is strongly contingent on the ability of both countries to resolve the Western Sahara dispute.

Here is a list of events that caused tension between the two countries:

1 – A war erupted between the two countries soon after Algeria gained independence in 1956 against the background of border disputes. Morocco wanted to regain control over territories it said France had annexed to Algeria when both countries were still under occupation.

2 – In 1994, both countries closed their land borders, signifying a rise in tensions between them. The border closure followed a terrorist attack in Marrakesh in 1994. Morocco. Morocco accused Algerian security agencies of standing behind the attack.

3 – The two countries are strongly divided on the demarcation of their land borders.

The Moroccans always call for returning their borders in the light of the Treaty of Lalla Maghnia of 1845.

Morocco's recent reentry into the African Union reflects its desire to go back to its African roots. This desire is manifest in recent Moroccan moves, including investments in the infrastructure of African states.

Algeria says its latest invitation for a meeting of the Arab Maghreb Union's foreign ministers came in the light of the latest African Union summit in Addis Ababa.

In any case, Maghreb states are badly in need of integration and unity, given the economic and security challenges they face.