Between Morocco and Mauritania a long-standing alliance. The two countries maintain security, economic and political ties, such as cooperation in border trade and bilateral agreements. And on the other shore, Nouakchott maintains good relations with Algeria in order to maintain a diplomatic balance in the region. A recent meeting between King Mohammed VI and Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani marked an improvement in relations between the two countries, according to North African experts.
Reacting to this effect, Jamal Ait Adam, specialist in North African affairs, mentions in a report published by Modern Policy that relations between Morocco and Mauritania embody a crucial concept of regional integration due to their history and mutual cooperation.
One of the key points of this partnership is the geographical proximity between the Sahelo-Saharan region and North Africa, which places them on the front line facing security threats such as terrorism, organized crime, human trafficking. humans and illegal migration.
Divided between two camps, Mauritania therefore finds itself in a critical geopolitical situation.. Despite the tensions, Nouakchott maintains a neutral position in this conflict and participates in initiatives that contribute to creating a new political and economic climate in the region, such as its participation in the gas pipeline linking Nigeria to West African countries and to Europe.
Towards a clearer and sharper political position? Hespress FR approached Abdelhamid Benkhattab, professor of political science at the Agdal-Rabat law faculty who confirms that “bilateral ties between Morocco and Algeria are long-term, since we are a country which respects good neighborliness, and which agrees to submit to international law regarding interference in the internal affairs of countries”.
With regard to Mauritania, insists our speaker, “we have always had respectful relations and ties that respect the sovereignty and political orientations of Morocco.” In detail, indicates the political scientist, “Mauritania, a small country between two giants, Morocco and Algeria, cannot make a definitive decision in the Sahara affair. Because its position remains more or less median.
Aware of the importance of ties with Morocco, Mauritania is not involved in conflict with the country, according to the expert. For him, Mauritania maintains a middle position insofar as there is no direct recognition of a puppet state, the SADR, and at the same time, Mauritania does not really recognize, explicitly, on the international, the Moroccanness of the Sahara. We are, therefore, faced with a position which tries to accommodate the two great regional powers of North Africa at the same time.
“For its part, Morocco hopes that Mauritania does not appear directly with the Algerian positions”specifies Benkhateb.
To this end, the positive neutrality of Mauritania towards Morocco is a position well received by Morocco, given that it is not part of this logic of conflict with Algeria, judges our speaker before mentioning that There are also very important economic interests between Morocco and Mauritania which must not be sacrificed in the interests of strict political interests. “There are also a certain number of future projects, particularly in terms of the Moroccan-Nigerian gas pipeline project which must pass through Mauritania.”, he adds.
And to emphasize that the Mauritanians know very well that they have no interest in openly aligning themselves with the Moroccan position because they will lose Algeria. “And they also know that if they align themselves with the Algerian position, they will lose Moroccan support and they have no interest in doing so, of course, and do not intend to do so in a average time”, he said.
According to him, there will be no direct recognition of Morocco’s sovereignty over the Sahara, but all the same, there is a certain political acceptance of the fait accompli which is that of the Moroccanness of the Sahara. “So the Mauritanians do not protest against the Moroccan nature of the Sahara, but at the same time, they do not recognize it. Finally, we are in a position that tries to accommodate both Morocco and Algeria”, he concludes.
