Maghreb countries divided over proposed Mediterranean Union

13/06/2008

Arab leaders from Mediterranean nations convened Tuesday in Tripoli to discuss the French-led initiative to establish a Mediterranean Union. Opinions range from open support to complete rejection.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 13/06/08

[Getty Images] Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi (right) expressed opposition to the proposed Mediterranean Union at Tuesday's mini-summit in Tripoli.

One month before an expected summit in Paris, a smaller meeting in the Libyan capital on Tuesday (June 10th) revealed many differences among Maghreb leaders over the French-proposed Mediterranean Union.

The Tripoli mini-summit was attended by heads of state from Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Mauritania and Morocco's prime minister, while Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's office cited scheduling conflicts for his absence.

In the opening of the first three-hour consultative session, Libyan leader Muammar Kadhafi announced his rejection of the Mediterranean Union proposal because it could potentially "affect Arab and African unity". Kadhafi added, "Our countries are members of the Arab League and the African Union, and we will not risk such Arab and African unity. If they want co-operation they have to go through Cairo and Addis Ababa."

Participants departed without issuing a joint statement, contrary to custom in such events. A diplomatic source in Libya who preferred to remain anonymous said, "The summit aggravated disagreements over the position that should be taken regarding the proposal made last July in Tunisia by French President Nicolas Sarkozy."

"On the one hand," he continued, "you find that the officials in Tunisia, Morocco and Egypt are enthusiastic about the project, and this was expressed by their leaders on more than one occasion. On the other hand, you find hesitation by Algerians and complete rejection by Syrians."

Last Wednesday, the website Libya Today discussed differences among Arab countries regarding the possible distribution of roles in the union: "Algeria has expressed its resentment over the news that Cairo was likely to share joint presidency of the union, together with a north Mediterranean country, while the general secretariat would be based in Tunis, and headed by a Moroccan."

France was quick to refute the assertions, which Interior Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie described as "rumours" during a visit to Algeria last month.

Other reservations expressed by Mediterranean countries involve the potential union's decision-making process and regional relations with Israel.

Despite these concerns and Libya's flat rejection of the initiative, the Tunisian government supports the union. On Wednesday, La Presse reiterated the positive Tunisian position towards the Mediterranean Union, stressing a "need to work hard in order to boost the pillars of a Mediterranean sphere for dialogue, partnership and joint development".

In a statement to Magharebia, Samir Abdallah, former member of the House of Advisors, ruled out the possibility that the Libyan leader's position would have any lasting effect on the Mediterranean Union. Abdallah said the rejection conforms "to an ideological view rather than a realistic political view responding to the interests of the region's peoples, who need investments from the northern countries in order to achieve development, social and economic welfare".

Political analyst Borhane Besais disagreed, saying that Libya's stance "will open the debate anew about the importance of the Mediterranean Union, and it will slow France's thrust".

"The Libyan stance came as a surprise to me," he said, "especially as Kadhafi himself had praised the project during his last visit to France. However, this will make the Mediterranean partners wait, conduct in-depth consultations and specify the roles with full transparency."

Besais added that a careful review of the process will enable Maghreb nations to enter any agreement as partners rather than dependents.