After meeting Arab allies in Israel, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken paid a visit to Morocco on Tuesday to consolidate a regional strategic partnership in a climate of tension in the Maghreb and the Gulf.
In Rabat, Mr. Blinken will meet again with his Moroccan counterpart Nasser Bourita, present Monday at the unprecedented meeting in the Israeli Negev desert with three other Arab ministers, as well as with Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. He will also meet in Morocco the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed ben Zayed Al-Nahyan, whose relations with his traditional American ally are marked by certain tensions.
The Secretary of State will end his regional tour on Wednesday with a stop in Algeria, Morocco’s rival in North Africa and Russia’s ally. During these trips, his talks will focus on bilateral and regional security, the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, human rights but also the economic impact of the conflict in Ukraine, such as the risk of shortage of wheat, according to American officials.
In Rabat, the issue of the disputed territory of Western Sahara, a priority for Moroccan diplomacy, should be high on the agenda. “Once again, the national cause, after the recognition by the United States of the Moroccanness of the Sahara (note: in December 2020), will dominate this visit”, underlined the Moroccan historian Moussaoui Ajlaoui in an interview with the site of semi-official information Le360.
In a press release, the State Department reiterated American support for the autonomy plan – “serious, credible and realistic” – presented by Morocco to settle the “difference” which has pitted it for decades against the Sahrawi separatists supported by Alger. At the same time, Washington assured the UN Secretary General’s personal envoy, Staffan de Mistura, of its support for relaunching the “political process” under the aegis of the United Nations.
” Common interest “
The State Department also touted a “strategic partnership rooted in common interests for peace, security and prosperity” in the region. Regarding the war in Ukraine, Morocco did not take part in the two votes of the UN General Assembly condemning the Russian invasion, thus refraining from taking a position in the conflict. This claimed neutrality illustrates Rabat’s desire not to alienate Russia, a member of the UN Security Council, on the question of Western Sahara, according to analysts.
In addition, Anthony Blinken will have the opportunity to discuss regional security with Prince Mohammed ben Zayed Al-Nahyan, known as “MBZ”, the strongman of the United Arab Emirates, who has a residence in Morocco.
Like Israel, the Emirates and Morocco are united against Iran while the United States seeks to revive the 2015 nuclear agreement with Tehran, supposed to prevent it from acquiring the atomic bomb in exchange for the lifting of international sanctions. In addition, the Emirates are part of a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, which has been helping the government of Yemen since 2015, at war against the Houthis, close to Iran.
Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline
In Algiers, Mr. Blinken will continue his discussions on security cooperation – particularly in the Sahel – and the Ukrainian crisis. The American diplomat could thus evoke the reopening of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which would make it possible to reduce the dependence of the countries of the European Union on Russian gas.
This pipeline serving Spain and transiting through Morocco was closed in October by Algeria following the severance of diplomatic relations with Rabat in August 2021. Algiers then pleaded “hostile acts” from its neighbor for justify his decision.
In addition to Western Sahara, the accelerated normalization between Morocco and Israel is among the disputes between the two enemy brothers of the Maghreb.
