Libya, Morocco and Mauritania and Tango Courier

Maghreb diplomacy is undoubtedly a mosaic of theatrical gestures and diplomatic dance steps in which each actor tries not to step on the toes of others, except when absolutely necessary, of course.

Maghreb diplomacy, always so graphic and unpredictable, recently offered us a spectacle worthy of a dramatic comedy. The Libyan Presidential Council, in a post-tripartite meeting that included Algeria and Tunisia, decided to remind everyone of the importance of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU).

The Libyan Presidential Council’s enthusiasm for sending messages across the Maghreb almost seems like a desperate quest to remind everyone that the AMU is not entirely a relic of the past. The curtains had just come down on the “Maghrebi” meeting in Tunisia, which brought together Algeria, Tunisia and Libya, when the president of the Libyan Presidential Council, Mohamed el-Menfi, decided to go on an epistolary tour.

With haste worthy of a soap opera, envoys were sent to Rabat and Nouakchott to raise the standard of Maghreb unity. Meanwhile, Tunisia seemed to have missed the memo, or perhaps just lost its postal address in the Maghreb. According to the Mauritanian news agency, a letter was delivered to President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani emphasizing the importance of revitalizing the Maghreb Union and strengthening bilateral cooperation.

At the same time, another envoy stopped in Rabat to deliver a similar note to King Mohammed VI, as MAP (Agence Maghreb Arabe Presse) reported two days ago. The pursuit of regional cooperation, especially on the issue of irregular migration, was clearly the main thrust of this tripartite meeting announced with fanfare by the Tunisian presidency. However, the absence of Tunisia in this postal ballet was seen by some as a deliberate act of omission, or even an attempt to prevent the dream of unification.

Tunisian political analyst Moncef Selimi’s commentary was full of pizazz, suggesting that President Kaïs Saïed’s almost cosmic connection to Algeria is not only geographical but also ideological. According to him, the recent tripartite meetings are nothing but a repetition of the old Algerian routine in its antagonism towards Morocco.

Meanwhile, relations between Tunisia and Morocco appear frozen in a prolonged diplomatic winter, exacerbated by the continued absence of ambassadors between the two countries. There was almost complete radio silence from Tunisia, leaving a mystery as to his real intentions or interest in the Union. The latest trio of meetings did little more than press the pause button, and analyst Selimi predicts that this diplomatic freeze will continue.

Selimi does not hesitate to describe the tripartite meeting as an Algerian routine aimed at thwarting the rise of the Maghreb Union, a game in which Morocco often finds itself in the role of rival. This situation reveals a complex geopolitical dynamic in which old antagonisms are re-emerging, even in attempts at cooperation.

In this episode of the North African series, we observe a ballet where every step and every note seems calculated to bring the actors together or apart. These diplomatic exchanges, which resemble a well-orchestrated ballet, underscore Libya’s commitment to pushing for greater regional integration.

In short, this series of events highlights the extent to which diplomacy in the Maghreb region can be riddled with contradictions and theatrics. Every movement, every letter sent, is a scene in an ongoing saga in which each country is playing for its own national interests and broader regional concerns. The question remains: will this diplomatic dance lead to true harmony or is it just a prelude to other episodes of discord?