Desert Diplomacy: Where Does Egypt’s Loyalty Lie in the Algeria-Morocco Rivalry

How does Cairo deal with ongoing tensions between the two Maghreb neighbors, which worsened three years ago, when Algeria severed its diplomatic ties with Rabat? Can it ignore it, or ignore that it has previously been present in most of the crises and conflicts that broke out between Moroccans and Algerians, supporting one side at the expense of the other, as happened in the Bali war in the sixties? , when Gamal Abdel Nasser sided with Algeria, or did it happen in the seventies with the emergence of the Sahara issue in the mediation of the two sides? It sure would be hard for him to distance himself from it now.
In light of Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic ties with Morocco, perhaps the most obvious reaction was during his announcement that his foreign minister had initiated two telephone calls with his Algerian and Moroccan counterparts, in which, according to a statement from the official spokesman of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he “touched on recent developments in relations … the decision of two brotherly countries, namely Algeria to sever its diplomatic relations with Morocco, and the way forward to overcome this situation,” ultimately stressing the need to “work to promote diplomatic solutions and dialogue, in order to move outstanding issues between them.” , a way to strengthen joint Arab action that the two sister countries play an important role in its various processes” according to the same source. However, the announcement of these contacts may reflect in part the fears of the Egyptians and their anticipation of what could potentially escalate between the two countries if it spiraled out of control, with negative repercussions on the security and stability of their neighbors. , which can be a source of threat to them later. Today, however, their focus primarily revolves around other topics and issues, particularly the situation in Gaza and the rest of the Palestinian territories, the issue of the Renaissance Dam, and the new alliances and arrangements taking place in the Horn of Africa. Africa, the fact that the conflict between Cairo and Addis Ababa because of that particular problem, however, does not mean that they do not take the Algerian-Moroccan conflict seriously in determining their plans and shaping their interests in North Africa. .

It seems that the Egyptians have changed some of their policies and have already started to change their approach with the goal of winning the two rivals at the same time.

Here the question arises that where does Cairo stand today in the dispute of uniting the two Maghreb countries? Is it traditionally aligned, as it was in the 1960s, for example, with Algeria? Or does it start to get closer and closer to Morocco? It is certain that the rapid and extensive regional and international changes that have taken place in recent decades in particular have presented it with several challenges at this level, including maintaining strong and close ties with Algeria on the one hand and improving relations with Morocco on the other, the late It has witnessed a significant and noticeable recovery under President Hosni Mubarak, but it has not always been successful and it has never been easy or feasible. Its relations with Algeria have been known for isolation and coldness since the middle, behind which there were cases of deadlock and tension between the two countries mainly due to the Egyptian position in the Sahara file, but it seems that the Egyptians have changed some of their policies and already have in mind the goal of conquering both rivals at the same time. Their attitudes are beginning to change. They must be well aware that what could open the door to success for them in this mission is their adherence to certain controls, to ensure that regional conflict and competition between them and Algeria does not exceed a certain limit, and then refrain from accepting them. Any stance that could inflame Morocco’s anger over the Sahara issue. However, their commitment to these controls may sometimes seem incomplete and this is due to the overlap and interconnection of their interests in the region. Their stakes and options, for example, are almost at odds with Algeria’s stakes and options in Libya, and their expanding relationship with the Qais Said government in neighboring Tunisia was once a source of great concern in the Algerian capital. It is not known whether it was the eagerness to comply with these controls that led the Egyptian foreign minister to meet, in just ten days, with his Moroccan counterpart in the Egyptian capital and his Algerian counterpart in New York, but there was a closeness between the two over time. The meeting raised a major question point. Does this mean that Cairo is now seeking to play some role in bringing things closer and reducing tensions between the two neighbors? Or want to guarantee their own interests in the two capitals, regardless of the tension between them?
The real turning point in his policy towards the two countries occurred only a few years ago. With the emergence of what was known at the time as the Guerguerat crossing crisis in the late 2000s, which resulted in elements linked to the Polisario blocking the crossing for commercial traffic between Morocco and Mauritania, Cairo said at the time that it was “closely following developments” in the situation. And that, in light of the escalating and escalating tensions in the region, parties are urged to exercise restraint, respect UN Security Council resolutions, including a ceasefire, and refrain from any provocative actions and actions. which will harm economic interests and trade exchanges in the region. But the most important point came from the official spokesman of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who stressed the need to “commit to dialogue and resume the political process to resolve the crisis, in a way that can achieve stability, preserve the interests of all parties and adhere to international law.” respects considerations, in particular the principle of state sovereignty.” That statement did not mention the word “parties” more than once, nor was the reference to the principle of state sovereignty incidental or fleeting, as it was the strongest indication of what many consider to be the beginning of a clear change among Egyptians. The position favors supporting Morocco’s position on the Sahara issue, on the one hand considering Algeria as a party to it and recognizing Morocco’s right to exercise its sovereignty over all its lands, including the Sahara. Another, but was Cairo supporting Rabat, or using the Sahara card to send a message to Algeria? It has, on other occasions, reiterated its commitment to the “territorial integrity of the State of Morocco” and “an international solution to the Sahara issue”. However, it has continued to participate in military exercises organized by Algeria known as the North African Regional Power, and in addition to Algerian and Libyan forces. Polisario has armed men. This has raised doubts about the authenticity of his position and ability to play the role of mediator between the two neighbors on the issue of the most complex dispute between the two capitals of Morocco and Algeria, and perhaps the coming months will confirm or deny these doubts.
A Tunisian writer and journalist