African Union: Algeria’s Satisfaction, Moroccan Regime’s Concerns

While Algeria welcomed the Islamic Republic of Mauritania’s assumption of the rotating presidency of the African Union, representing the North African region, with satisfaction, this new development was met with suspicion and concern among the Moroccan authorities, due to the undeclared coldness in Moroccan-Mauritanian relations during the last three years.

Mauritania was chosen by the countries of the North African region for the rotating presidency of the African Union, succeeding the Federal Republic of Comoros, after reaching a consensus regarding it to avoid an Algerian-Moroccan clash over this position.

The selection of Mauritania as a candidate for the rotating presidency of the African Union was preceded by the visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the National Community Abroad, Ahmed Attaf, to Nouakchott, where he was received by Mauritanian President Mohamed Sheikh el-Ghazouani, and before him, the world caliph of the Tijaniya order, the Algerian Sidi Tijani Ali Belarabi, arrived in Mauritania and was received in Nouakchott remarkably by the Mauritanian President and Prime Minister, Mohamed Ould Bilal, and the Speaker of the National Assembly (Parliament), Mohamed Ould Meguett.

The sheikh of the Tijaniya order was also received in Nouakchott by the scholar Sheikh Muhammad Al-Hassan Ould Dedew, who told his Algerian counterpart that he “wishes to visit the city of Ain Madhi in Laghouat (southwestern Algeria) which is considered the birthplace of the founder of the Tijaniya order, Bab Al-Abbas Ahmed Muhammad bin al-Mukhtar bin Ahmed bin Muhammad Salem Al-Tijani,” in a cross-border message that resonated in the Kingdom of Morocco, which is desperately trying to dispute Algeria over the origin of the Tijaniya order institution.

On February 12, 2024, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune held a phone call with his Mauritanian counterpart, Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al-Ghazouani, “in which they discussed issues of interest to both countries, as well as the upcoming visit of President Mohamed Sheikh Al-Ghazouani to Algeria.” He also congratulated his Mauritanian counterpart for choosing a candidate for the North African region to chair the upcoming African Union summit, according to a statement by the Algerian presidency.

The Tindouf-Zouerate crossing between Algeria and Mauritania will also be inaugurated in a few days, opening broad horizons for trade exchange between the two countries. The two countries’ presidents are likely to participate in the inauguration activities, as an expression of the progress that Algerian-Mauritanian relations have reached in the last few years.

Nevertheless, Moroccan-Mauritanian relations are experiencing a stagnation unmistakable to any observer of relations between these two countries. Since the beginning of this year, the movement of Moroccan trucks has stopped at the Guerguerat crossing, the link between the occupied Mauritanian and Western Sahara territories, due to the Mauritanian authorities’ imposition of exorbitant fees on Moroccan goods. It started at 171% and in some cases reached 400%, which led to the cessation of the movement of goods between Morocco and West African countries through Mauritanian territory, knowing that it is the only land route, which caused a scarcity of some goods in Mauritania, then Algeria worked to export various products to sisterly Mauritania.

Moroccan truck owners tried to direct their exports north towards Spain and the rest of the European countries, but the revolution of truck drivers and farmers in France and then in Spain made Moroccan trucks a target for protestors, causing heavy losses to Moroccan exporters.

The Heads of State and Government of the African Union, on Saturday, elected the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ghazouani, as the new chairman of the union for 2024.

He was elected during the ongoing 37th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Ghazouani takes the baton of leadership from President Azali Assoumani of the Union of Comoros, who served as the AU Chairperson for 2023.

Portending more challenges, 19 presidential or general elections are scheduled on the continent this year.

The UN Security Council in December 2023 adopted a resolution to finance AU-led peace missions but capped it at 75% of the budget.