Former President Moncef Marzouki spoke recently in Rabat at a conference organized by the Front des Forces Démocratiques (FFD), reaffirming the need to relaunch the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA). He estimated that maintaining the status quo in the region – marked by persistent divisions – “weighs heavily” on the Maghreb people.
Marzouki called on Maghreb civil society to play a leading role in this process, in particular by consolidating freedoms of movement, work and residence between Maghreb countries. He also pleaded for the involvement of the parliaments of the Maghreb states in the development of a common vision, which he considers a fundamental step towards a unified regional space.
In the same context, Marzouki did not limit himself to the call for regional unity. He openly criticized the position of the Algerian regime regarding the Sahara question. According to him, the adoption of Resolution 2797 of the United Nations Security Council — which enshrines Morocco’s autonomy plan as a basis for resolving the conflict — marks a turning point. He considers that this decision has brought down the arguments that he describes as “artificial narratives”, and declares that the Sahrawis in the Tindouf camps are “hostages” of a blocking policy carried out for decades.
Marzouki questions the Algerian narrative
Calling for a “historic reconciliation” between Morocco and Algeria, Marzouki affirms that only a sincere dialogue, based on trust and good neighborliness, can open the way to a new Maghreb era.
For Moncef Marzouki, a renovated UMA must guarantee Maghrebi citizens five fundamental freedoms: freedom of movement, freedom of residence, freedom to work, freedom of property, and freedom to participate in local elections. These rights – both civic and social – are, according to him, the basis of real and lasting integration between the peoples of the region.
