Algeria’s stillborn anti-Morocco regional union

Tunisia has added the final nail in Algeria’s attempt to create a Maghreb union that excludes and isolates Morocco.

The Algerian president has spoken about a union in the making with Tunisia and Libya due to the inaction of the Maghreb union that also includes Mauritania and Morocco.

Analysts have said that Tebboune was seeking to bring cash-strapped Tunisia and war-torn Libya on board as a prelude to add the self-proclaimed Polisario entity.

While Libyan authorities refused to adhere to Algeria’s regional scheme, more motivated by hostility to Morocco than with genuine regional integration, Tunisia’s stand was more ambiguous as the country has deepened its dependence on Algerian cash to an extent that it has been described by observers as a satellite state.

However, the recent appointment by Tunisia’s President Kais Saied of a new Secretary General of the five-state Arab Maghreb Union, indicates a resounding failure of Tebboune’s three-state union.

The founding treaty of the Rabat-based union stipulates that the head of the Rabat-based UMA secretariat general should be of Tunisian nationality. Newly appointed Tarek Ben Salem will succeed Taieb Baccouche.

The new secretary general will have to deal with the reluctance of Algeria to pay its contributions to the Union. Baccouche has previously complained of Algeria’s withdrawal of its diplomats from the headquarters in Rabat and its failure to pay its due financial contributions.