A recent report by the US-based think tank, the Atlantic Council, shed light on the political repercussions of the Hamas-Israel war on North Africa, stating that what’s happening in the region could “claim center stage if ignored or misinterpreted.”
Scholars have often stressed that the peaceful development of Southern Europe’s polities depends on a stable and forward-thinking Southern shore, namely the countries of North Africa. Sadly, that prospect is now more remote than ever, and the current state of affairs might rapidly worsen, the research stated.
Speaking of the ongoing tension between Morocco and Algeria, especially on the Moroccan Sahara file, the Atlantic Council believes that “the dispute over Western Sahara is an excuse to have an enemy at the border and justifies the power of the ruling classes in Algeria and Morocco.”
The report recalled recent efforts to resolve the tension between the two countries, mentioning Moroccans and Algerians shared interest in fostering ties.
The report then turned to Tunisia’s political landscape, describing how the country is heading toward authoritarianism as a result of the newly elected President Kais Saied’s concentration of all constitutional authorities under his own authority.
What might be even more concerning is the fact that Algeria, Tunisia’s strong neighbor, is gaining ground on it. According to the same source, President Saied needed unwavering support from Western nations for Tunisia’s political and economic progress as the country descended deeper into its economic and political turmoil.
On the other side, Egypt has been working to impose its political and military dominance over Libya, a country torn apart by civil conflict.
By backing General Khalifa Haftar, the leader of Libya’s eastern regions, and one of their proxies, chaos and unfavorable outcomes near Egypt’s western borders have been somewhat prevented, according to the study.
“Given the current scenario, the situation of the Israel-Hamas war may force Egypt to face its contradictions, leading it to either a confrontation with Israel in defense of the Palestinians or against Hamas in support of its peace agreement with Israel. In either case, the consequences for Western countries would be unthinkable,” explained the Atlantic Council.
Given these complex issues, Western nations should make decisions about the events in Gaza more deliberate and comprehensive by taking the ongoing tensions in North Africa into account.
Formulating a plan that enables the reconciliation of the Palestinians and Israelis and molds their political and socio-economic advancement in a way that does not ignore the Arab world as a whole is the only feasible way to achieve permanent peace, as opposed to a band-aid solution. The research determined that this is the only way to proceed.
Based on the Atlantic Community’s pivotal role in addressing global concerns, the Atlantic Council encourages positive leadership and involvement in international affairs. By educating and inspiring its extraordinarily powerful network of world leaders, it offers a crucial platform for navigating the profound political and economic shifts that characterize the twenty-first century.