Maghreb countries divided over proposed Mediterranean Union
2008-06-13
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.
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Struggle with Pen Posted 2008-06-14
Muslim Union or some screwed up stink of these outdated leaders.......along with them they will take the rest of the masses down. The only union that can succeed is the Muslim Union....without which our children and grandchildren will become bonded slaves of yahud et al. Two things can save the Maghreb.....prayers and the men treating their women with respect. Cover up the Muslim women of Maghreb....educate them about their importance to the coming generations.....let them not drop their clothes on the beaches like the women of the west who has lost everything and become bonded slaves of men in the name of feminity.
wahid Posted 2008-06-14
All of this was just to establish relations with our age-old enemy. With the traitors we have in power, this is not that bizarre. Take a look at the civil war in Algeria! It was because we Algerians will never submit to France! And that goes even more for the Jews!
Noures Posted 2008-06-14
This is not news. We are saving our reputation. The Arabs have come together and agreed to disagree. Khadafi is looking towards the long run. Algeria is and will remain the sole country where Israel does not have a base, whereas Morocco and Tunisia have been reined in. And, what of Egypt!? Its absence says a lot. It has to obey those who make it rain or make it shine!
الظاهر بيبرس Posted 2008-06-14
After they have destroyed the efficiency of the Arab Maghreb and after thwarting the project of the Arab Union, I see that the solution of Arab rulers is to resign and offer an opportunity to Al Qaeda and its project in the Islamic Caliphate and it will be restored with the will of God whether they accept to resign or no. But selling lands and people at the lowest prices and ask for the authorization of Israel in our Jihad, this is impossible. The free woman may be starved but won’t eat from its breast. So woe to the liars and hypocrites. One day will come and you will see that our nations have made men who will restore the triumph of history and the right to its people. But seeing a president who goes and comes back without anything and laugh at us, this is a forlorn era and it won’t come back again.
BEN Posted 2008-06-14
This is a union for development, environmental cleanup and protection of our fishing resources in the Mediterranean Sea, cradle of Western civilization. Dang. I'm on it. As for Kadhafi. I think he must suffer sea sickness and doesn't like fish.
slim16 Posted 2008-06-14
The game is quite clear: whereas the countries under IV drips agree because they are afraid that there will be a reduction in the aid they are receiving from Europe, the independent countries cannot conceive of such an alliance offering them anything good, but rather leaving them under tutelage. This is clear and comprehensive and, in spite of all the criticism, they are right. The stakes are not the same for everybody.
moi Posted 2008-06-15
Good God! Think about your pride for once!!! Instead of uniting yourself with others, think first about coming to an agreement amongst yourselves, the Arabs!!! Enough, by God, enough foolishness! We are truly fed up with your stupid decisions!!!
صالح بوعصبى Posted 2008-06-16
If the mini-summit of the five Arab countries gathered in Tripoli has deepened the differences about the position which should be adopted about the Mediterranean Union, what then is the Arab Union or the even the African Union about which the Libyan president is talking about? Where have the colenel's declarations which he made in France gone? Or are we still using the principle of “Today beer and tomorrow an order?” Then what is this backwardness? An Arab mini-summit and the attendees are even unable to issue a joint declaration? Utter madness, I don’t say difference, because we can issue a declaration in which we record our differences. The reality which should be loudly declared is that the difference between Arabs isn’t associated with the Mediterranean Union in itself, whether to join it or not? If only the difference was about that, but it is a disagreement about the positions assigned to every country as every Arab country is seeking for itself a position with which it can defy other Arab countries in a race for leadership to serve limited and immediate political interests which have no vision of the future. The attendees of the conference should have discussed and debated the formulation and content of the bylaws of the union instead of tackling marginal issues. Joining the Mediterranean Union shouldn’t be associated with other problems such as the Palestinian problem because this is a bigger and deeper problem which cannot be solved with such conditions. Quite the opposite, establishing such a union can contribute to solving the problem, setting up strong regional entities and unions could also contribute to solving that problem instead of riding problems which twist us with pain for no other reason but playing on passionate emotions to achieve popular and immediate goals. Finally, holding such dispersed conferences here and there doesn’t reflect an interest in the cause but rather reflects dispersion, fragmentation and disloyal competition. If Arabs were to organize one conference to the cause, a conference which they make preparations for and provide adequate objective conditions for its success and getting out with a positive result, it would have been better and more useful. But unfortunately it isn’t with « IF » that goals are achieved.
Anonymous Posted 2008-06-17
I cannot understand this mafiosi government, more than half of which is of French nationality and the ones who deal in American oil and their likes go shopping in Paris on the weekend. They keep asking for money and are endlessly sweet-talking France. My God, when are you going to grow up?
omar ochod Posted 2008-06-23
Morocco is the country of injustice and exploitation. There is no harm in being born in Morocco. But the problem is to live in it.
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