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Arab Maghreb Union

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The Arab Maghreb Union (Arabic: إتحاد المغرب العربي Ittiḥād al-Maghrib al-‘Arabī; AMU/UMA) is a political union and economic union trade agreement aiming for economic and future political unity among Arab countries that are located primarily in the Maghreb in North Africa. Its members are the nations of Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.[1] The Union has been unable to achieve tangible progress on its goals due to deep economic and political disagreements between Morocco and Algeria regarding, among others, the issue of Western Sahara.[2] No high-level meetings have taken place since 3 July 2008,[3] and commentators regard the Union as largely dormant.[4][5][6]

Arab Maghreb Union
  • إتحاد المغرب العربي (Arabic)
    Ittiḥād al-Maghrib al-‘Arabī
Map of the Arab Maghreb Union
Seat of SecretariatRabat, Morocco
Largest cityCasablanca, Morocco
Official languageArabic
Demonym(s)Maghrebis
Member states
Leaders
• Secretary General
Taïeb Baccouche
Establishment17 February 1989
Area
• Total
6,046,441 km2 (2,334,544 sq mi) (7th)
Population
• 2020 estimate
102,877,547 (13th)
• Density
17/km2 (44.0/sq mi) (217th)
GDP (PPP)2020 estimate
• Total
$1.299173 trillion [citation needed] (23rd)
• Per capita
$12,628 [citation needed]
GDP (nominal)2020 estimate
• Total
$382.780 billion [citation needed] (37st)
• Per capita
$3,720 [citation needed]
Gini (2012 [citation needed])Positive decrease 32.8
medium inequality
HDI (2019 [citation needed])Increase 0.715
high (106th)
Currency
Website
maghrebarabe.org

Creation

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The idea for an economic union of the Maghreb began with the independence of Tunisia and Morocco in 1956. It was not until thirty years later, though, that five Maghreb states—Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia—met for the first Maghreb summit in 1988.[7] The Union was established on 17 February 1989 when the treaty was signed by the member states in Marrakech.[7][8] According to the Constitutive Act, its aim is to guarantee cooperation "with similar regional institutions... [to] take part in the enrichment of the international dialogue... [to] reinforce the independence of the member states and... [to] safeguard... their assets." Strategic relevance of the region is based on the fact that, collectively, it boasts large phosphate, oil, and gas reserves, and it is a transit centre to southern Europe. The success of the Union would, therefore, be economically important.[9]

Organization

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There is a rotating chairmanship within the AMU which is held in turn by each nation. The current Secretary-General is the Tunisian Taïeb Baccouche.[10][11]

Members

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During the 16th session of the AMU Foreign Ministers, held on 12 November 1994 in Algiers, Egypt applied to join the AMU grouping.

Economy

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The economy of the AMU combines the economies of four out of five member states.[clarification needed] All countries are predominantly Arab and Muslim states. The four out of five AMU countries have a combined GDP (at purchasing power parity; PPP) of US$1.5276 trillion.[when?] The richest country on the basis of GDP per capita at PPP is Algeria. On the basis of per capita GDP (nominal), Libya is the richest country, with incomes exceeding US$65.803 per capita.[clarification needed]

Economies of AMU members
Country GDP (nominal) GDP (PPP) GDP (nominal) per capita GDP (PPP) per capita HDI
  Algeria 200,171,000,000 693,109,000,000 4,645 16,085 0.754
  Libya 51,330,000,000 79,595,000,000 7,803 12,100 0.706
  Mauritania 5,243,000,000 19,472,000,000 1,291 4,797 0.520
  Morocco 122,458,000,000 332,358,000,000 3,441 9,339 0.667
  Tunisia 42,277,000,000 151,566,000,000 3,587 12,862 0.735
Arab Maghreb Union 421,479,000,000 1,276,100,000,000 3,720 12,628 0.707

Operations

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There have been problems of traditional rivalries within the AMU. For example, in 1994, Algeria decided to transfer the presidency of the AMU to Libya. This followed the diplomatic tensions between Algeria and other members, especially Morocco and Libya, whose leaders continuously refused to attend AMU meetings held in Algiers. Algerian officials justified the decision, arguing that they were simply complying with the AMU Constitutive Act, which stipulates that the presidency should in fact rotate on an annual basis. Algeria agreed to take over the presidency from Tunisia in 1994, but could not transfer it due to the absence of all required conditions to relinquish the presidency as stipulated by the Constitutive Act.

Following the announcement of the decision to transfer the presidency of the Union, the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, stated that it was time to put the Union "in the freezer".[12] This raised questions about Libya's position towards the Union. The concern was that Libya would have a negative influence on the manner in which it would preside over the organization.[9]

Moreover, traditional rivalries between Morocco and Algeria, and the unsolved question of Western Sahara's sovereignty, have blocked union meetings since the early 1990s despite several attempts to re-launch the political process. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony that was invaded by Morocco and Mauritania, has declared independence as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. The latest top-level conference, in mid-2005, was derailed by Morocco's refusal to meet, due to Algeria's vocal support for Sahrawi independence. Algeria has continuously supported the Polisario Front liberation movement.[9]

Several attempts have been made, notably by the United Nations, to resolve the Western Sahara issue. In mid-2003, the UN Secretary General's Personal Envoy, James Baker, proposed a settlement plan, also referred to as the Baker Plan II. The UN's proposal was rejected by Morocco and accepted by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. As far as bilateral attempts are concerned, very little has been achieved, as Morocco continues to refuse any concessions that would allow the independence of Western Sahara, while Algeria maintains its support for the self-determination of the Sahrawis.[9]

In addition, the quarrel between Gaddafi's Libya and Mauritania has not made the task of reinvigorating the organization any easier. Mauritania has accused the Libyan secret service of being involved in a 2003 attempted coup against President Maaouya Ould Sid'Ahmed Taya. Libya has denied all the accusation.[13][14]

In 2023, the single currency project in the area remains technically feasible but politically infeasible.[15]

In April 2024, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya discuss the establishment of a new North African entity, supposed to replace the Arab Maghreb Union, which they consider "inoperative", without Morocco, and Mauritania. It was decided that joint working groups will be created to coordinate efforts on the security of common borders in the face of irregular migration and the establishment of major joint investment projects on cereal production as well as water desalination of sea water in the face of climate change, and the free movement of goods and people between the three countries.[16]

In November 2024, Abdelmadjid Tebboune invited Kais Saied, President of Tunisia, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, President of Mauritania, Mohamed al-Menfi, President of the Libyan Presidential Council, and Ibrahim Ghali, President of the Sahrawi Republic, to attend the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the outbreak of the Declaration of 1 November 1954. This meeting is seen as the beginning of a new union.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Francesco Tamburini, L'Union du Maghreb Arabe, ovvero l'utopia di una organizzazione regionale africana, en "Africa", N. 3, 2008, p. 405-428
  2. ^ Zunes, Stephen (1995). "Algeria, the Maghreb Union, and the Western Sahara Stalemate". Arab Studies Quarterly. 17 (3): 23–36. ISSN 0271-3519. JSTOR 41858127.
  3. ^ "Official Website: upcoming meetings". Archived from the original on 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2016-03-12.
  4. ^ "Tunisia president in Morocco to promote Maghreb union". Al Arabiya. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2017-05-08.
  5. ^ Publitec Publications, ed. (22 December 2011). Who's Who in the Arab World 2007-2008. De Gruyter. p. 1117. ISBN 978-3-598-07735-7. It was reported in early January 2006, that the largely moribund Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) had appointed...
  6. ^ Thorne, John (February 17, 2012). "The liberated Maghreb looks to economic union". The National. Abu Dhabi. Tunisia's interim president, Moncef Marzouki, toured Morocco, Mauritania and Algeria last week in a bid to breathe life into the moribund Arab Maghreb Union (AMU), a planned North African trading bloc. While economic integration could boost employment and living standards across the region, leaders largely unanswerable to voters dithered for years in making it happen.
  7. ^ a b "UMA - Arab Maghreb Union". UN Economic Committee for Africa. Archived from the original on 23 July 2020. Retrieved 13 September 2014.
  8. ^ "PANAPRESS - PANAFRICAN News Agency - Official Web Site". Panafrican News Agency. 2023-06-26. Retrieved 2023-06-26.
  9. ^ a b c d Aggad, Faten. "The Arab Maghreb Union: Will the Haemorrhage Lead to Demise?" African Insight. 6 April 2004.
  10. ^ "Maghreb: Taieb Bacchouche, New Chairman of Arab Maghreb Union | The North Africa Post". The North Africa Post. 2016-05-06. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  11. ^ "Taieb Baccouche Appointed Secretary General of the Arab Maghreb Union". Tunisia-TN. 2016-05-05. Retrieved 2017-07-18.
  12. ^ Le Quotidien d'Oran. 2003. Le Maghreb en Lambeaux. 23 December 2003. p 1
  13. ^ Le Quotidien d'Oran. 2003. La Libye dément avoir financé un plan présumé de coup d'État en Mauritanie. 21 December. p 9
  14. ^ "Libya denies Mauritania coup link". 2004-09-30. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
  15. ^ "Monnaie commune pour le Maghreb: Techniquement faisable, politiquement, une chimère. - Jamel BENJEMIA جمال بن جميع".
  16. ^ "Bloc Algérie, Tunisie, Libye : Tebboune, Saïed et Menfi assument la première pierre" (in French). 2024-04-23. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
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