This week, the Maghreb Union suffered a new and most severe setback, reports Dina Ezzat The leaders of the Arab Maghreb Union abruptly called off the summit of the five-state regional block on Tuesday in the wake of a new round of bickering between Morocco and Algeria over the disputed territory of the Western Sahara. "This summit is not completely called off. We are hoping that it will take place within a few weeks -- may be five weeks at the most," the personal representative of Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Bel-Khadem told Al-Ahram Weekly. Speaking to the Weekly over the phone from his Algiers office, the Algerian official denied the accounts offered by Morocco, that accused Algeria of ruining the prospects of a Maghreb summit. "This is absolutely not true. Algeria did nothing of the sort. We are very keen on the Maghreb Union and we are doing everything we can to encourage close and friendly relations between all the Maghreb countries. We are also very keen to have the best relations with Morocco," Bel- Khadem said. The Maghreb Union was established in 1988, and it groups Libya, the current chair for over a decade, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. The union was never particularly active. However, since its last summit was held in 1994, this North African block has been put on hold. Differences among its member states have often led observers and diplomats to call it "the clinically dead Maghreb Union". However, in the wake of last March's Arab summit in Algeria -- which was attended by Moroccan King Mohamed VI -- hopes were high that the union may be given a new lease of life. Boosting these hopes was the agreement of Libya and Mauritania to put aside their exchange of accusations over alleged internal interference. In Tripoli on Monday, the foreign ministers of the five Maghreb countries met to prepare for the summit that was supposed to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday. However, on Tuesday morning, the Libyan Foreign Ministry issued a statement declaring that the summit would be put on hold. The Tripoli statement proposed no alternative date. Maghreb diplomats admit the delay was inevitable after the Sahara dispute cropped up again on Monday as Algerian President Abdul-Aziz Boutaflika sent Polisario leader a letter declaring his support for the right of the Western Sahara people to seek independence. Moroccan diplomats in Rabat told the Weekly that this was "a deliberate attempt on the side of Algeria to bombard the summit. This letter proves that Algeria is not serious about bridging the gap with us. They know that we have a quarrel with their support for the independence of the Polisario in the [the Western Sahara]. So why raise the issue on the eve of the summit?" Bel-Khadem denied these charges "as totally unfounded". "We did not at all mean to bombard the summit. This was a ceremonial letter that is sent on regular basis every year to mark the national Polisario day," he said. Moreover, Algerian diplomats say the issue of the Western Sahara was not an issue for the Maghreb Union or the Arab League for that matter. "We have always agreed that this is an issue that is strictly dealt with in the UN," Bel-Khadem stressed. Since Tuesday, Libyan officials have offered no further information. "Until further notice" is the deadline they gave for the convocation of the summit -- with no guarantees.
