The idea may seem wild: digging a canal from the Atlantic, somewhere south of Morocco, to flood part of the Sahara and create an inland sea. Yet, this project has been seriously considered several times since the late 19th century. Was it a utopian vision, a geopolitical ambition, or a misunderstanding of the terrain? Let’s revisit the history of a dream that could have reshaped the landscape of the Maghreb.
At the end of October, the European Parliament rejected a request to examine the rulings of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) on trade in the Sahara during a plenary session. Six months after this setback, its supporters are bringing the issue back to the table.
A few weeks after a Moroccan parliamentary delegation visited Mexico, Algeria followed suit. However, the visit did not yield the desired results, particularly concerning the Western Sahara issue, leading Algerian media to distort the facts. Here are the details.
Prospects for improved Morocco-Algeria relations are slim, with tensions escalating over the Western Sahara issue, according to Oxford Analytica. The firm also highlights the potential for increased conflict due to military spending, aggressive rhetoric, and the involvement of the Polisario Front.
As Staffan de Mistura prepares to relaunch consultations on Western Sahara, the Polisario Front is once again demanding a referendum on self-determination. However, this option was dismissed by the UN over two decades ago, following a voter identification process plagued by disagreements.