Will the Western Sahara Crisis Tear the Maghreb Apart?

Since late August, Morocco and Tunisia have been engaged in a diplomatic spat that risks spilling over into their trade relations. Morocco withdrew its ambassador from Tunis on August 26 after Tunisian president Kais Saied received Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario movement, which demands self-determination for the people of the Western Sahara, over which Morocco claims sovereignty. The Tunisian government also recalled its ambassador from Rabat in response. Ghali had come to Tunis to participate in the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, and photos showing Saied welcoming him at the airport circulated on social media. Morocco quickly announced that it would not be participating in the conference, and reports emerged that it was considering cutting economic ties with Tunisia. Last week, the Moroccan Consumer Rights Federation announced a campaign to boycott Tunisian goods. How did Tunisia suddenly become entangled in the dispute between Algeria and Morocco over the Western Sahara, and what can we expect going forward?...

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