Moroccan-Mauritanian relations have witnessed remarkable dynamism recently, driven by the leadership of the two countries’ bet on strengthening economic and political cooperation through strategic initiatives aimed at developing infrastructure and raising trade exchanges to the level of the historical relations that bind the two neighboring countries.
In the context of this dynamic, talk is being raised about the existence of a plan to open a new commercial border crossing towards Mauritania via the Smara region, which is the crossing that was the subject of a parliamentary petition that called on the Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans residing abroad to work on its establishment, given its promising development prospects and its service goals. Moroccans in Africa.
This conversation did not pass without arousing the anger of the Polisario Front, which, through the brother of its founder, Al-Bashir Mustafa Al-Sayyid, issued direct threats of war in this regard, with the aim of influencing Nouakchott’s positions and its trend towards strengthening rapprochement with Rabat. The same separatist official considered that Morocco’s strategy to resolve the conflict “is completed by two axes: the first on the coast or waters (Guerguerat-Gouira), and the second on land (Amkala-Bir Um Gharin).”
The separatist leader considered, in statements reported by media outlets affiliated with the front, that “this situation raises questions about what we have prepared for and how we can confront it,” noting that “the current situation is very difficult… and betting on Mauritania can prevent this plan if it refuses to pave the way for occupation.” The Moroccan crossed the territory of the Sahrawi Republic, which turns the Sahrawi borders into Moroccan borders, and embroils them in a fratricidal war,” he said.
Secessionist auctions
In this context, Muhammad Al-Ghaith Maa Al-Ainin, a member of the International Center for Diplomacy and Dialogue of Civilizations, said, “The speech of the Polisario Front and its leaders in this context is nothing more than one-upmanship; Because from a practical and field perspective, the Moroccan-Mauritanian border at the desert level has become conjoined, especially after the Moroccan army secured the border crossing in November of 2020 and ended the adventures of Polisario militants at this border point, through which the Moroccan and Mauritanian authorities supervise the management of the flow of goods and people.”
Maa El-Ainin added, “Opening another commercial crossing will not be a precedent, but the Polisario is trying to exaggerate the issue of the possibility of establishing a new crossing between the Moroccan city of Smara and the Mauritanian region of Bir Um Gharin, in an attempt to forget its rules that there are official open borders between Morocco and Mauritania,” pointing out that “Opening more trade crossings between the two countries does not face any political constraints, but rather technical and other problems related to economic feasibility.”
The spokesman confirmed to Hespress that “the Mauritanian army deployed massively in the Bir Om Grine region in the northwest of the country, which was occupied by Polisario militants in a blatant violation of Mauritanian sovereignty,” noting that “this new trade route that is being talked about could open the way To Mali and Niger, thus strengthening the logistical structures of the Atlantic Initiative launched by Morocco for the benefit of the Sahel countries that suffer from Algerian interventions and Algeria’s attempt to create separatist hotspots in them, including It also includes Mauritania.”
-The same analyst considered that “the final expulsion of the separatists from some limited areas east of the wall, which the separatist front calls the liberated territories, has become a matter of time and no more, and Algeria is aware of this and fears the consequences of the Polisario’s presence on the land of Tindouf, and therefore it is trying to export it to other countries, including Mauritania.” The president of which warned against attempts to disrupt the Mauritanian demographic fabric by naturalizing camp residents, stressing that “Nouakchott would be better off anticipating all Algerian steps.” “By strengthening the strategic alliance with Morocco, whether in a bilateral or multilateral framework, with other strategic allies.”
Moroccan initiatives
For his part, Saeed Barknan, a political analyst, said, “Mauritania was able to overcome the limitation of geographical proximity with Morocco to the artificial problem surrounding the Moroccan Sahara, by developing its strategic vision based on regional economic developments and insight into the role of economic initiatives offered by Morocco, both to West African countries along the The Atlantic coast or the sub-Saharan coastal countries.”
Speaking to the electronic newspaper Hespress, Berknan stressed that “Mauritania was able to separate the political position it presents on the Sahara issue, which is a position of positive neutrality as a party concerned with this conflict in the eyes of the United Nations, and the positive economic position that is involved in many initiatives presented by Morocco to achieve Development, including the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline and the access of the Sahel countries to the Atlantic Ocean.”
The same political analyst continued, “Opening any new commercial crossing between Morocco and Mauritania comes within the framework of Nouakchott’s positive economic interaction towards these Moroccan initiatives that aim to change the face of the regional region economically and achieve development that benefits neighboring countries to achieve stability and security.”
The spokesman concluded that “Polisario’s threats to Mauritania are based on a separatist logic that does not comprehend the logic of an independent state with its decisions within its sovereign borders, nor does it comprehend the basis on which Mauritania’s decision to reach economic rapprochement with Morocco was taken, which is based on realistic data that says that the Kingdom has become an important determinant and indicator.” In the economic equation in the future of the region, and to the fact that developing Mauritania’s economy is part of strategic visions that are not based on political conflicts as much as they depend on a winner-win logic. On which Morocco began to build its relations south-south.”
