Watan-The African Organization for Human Rights has called for the revival of the Arab Maghreb Union project, considering it a strategic choice with no alternative. It emphasized that ongoing political and diplomatic tensions among the region’s countries are obstructing the peoples’ aspirations for cooperation, development, and stability.
In a statement issued today, the organization expressed deep concern over the escalating tensions between Morocco and Algeria on one hand, and Morocco and Tunisia on the other. It affirmed that such bilateral disputes entrench political stagnation and prevent the region from benefiting from the economic and social opportunities offered by Maghreb integration.
The organization stressed that security and stability in the Maghreb region can only be achieved through constructive dialogue and good neighborliness, steering clear of political escalation, which only serves agendas of division and fragmentation.
In this context, it called for reviving the Maghreb Union project as an urgent necessity to keep pace with global economic and geopolitical shifts. It also emphasized the need to enhance dialogue between Morocco and Algeria to overcome political disputes hindering joint progress, as well as to rebuild trust between Morocco and Tunisia, and to neutralize sensitive political issues from bilateral relations.
Civil Initiatives and Dialogue Key to Reviving the Maghreb Union
The organization noted that popular and civil society initiatives can play an important role in bringing the peoples of the region closer together. It called for supporting cultural, economic, and social activities that contribute to breaking the political deadlock and laying the foundation for a more open Maghreb cooperation.
It confirmed that the experience of past decades has shown that the absence of the Maghreb Union has harmed the interests of the five countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania) and cost them tremendous economic and developmental opportunities.
The statement concluded by affirming that peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but requires relationships based on dialogue and mutual respect. It called on the region’s political leaders to shoulder their historical responsibilities and seriously work toward achieving the Maghreb Union dream that the peoples have aspired to for decades.
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