| Morocco - Algeria: Similarity and Antagonism |
| HASSAN MASIKY | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() Both countries share the same language, religion, long borders and a good portion of their respective history. And yet today, it is hard to escape the level of animosity between the two people. Whenever I surf the Web in search of news on Morocco, I end up in forums where posting exchanges between Moroccans and Algerians are heated and unfortunately rude, personal, hurtful and in many instances tactless. A quick research of these posting let me to the conclusion that if it was not for the Sahara issue, Moroccans and Algerians will get along much better. Both countries share the same language, religion, long borders and a good portion of their respective history. And yet today, it is hard to escape the level of animosity between the two people. Whenever I surf the Web in search of news on Morocco, I end up in forums where posting exchanges between Moroccans and Algerians are heated and unfortunately rude, personal, hurtful and in many instances tactless. A quick research of these posting let me to the conclusion that if it was not for the Sahara issue, Moroccans and Algerians will get along much better.A number of Algerian websites (NOT ALL) are taking up the role of Polisario propaganda machines, masking their biases by planting and wording Polisario misinformation as legitimate news items. These activities inevitably incite rage and indignation from Moroccans who in return react with outrage to these acts. To take matter further, some Moroccan and Algerian websites are currently clearing houses for negative news stories on each other, interestingly so Tunisian news are non existent on the same Websites. This ongoing drama is futile, self-defeating and a huge mismanagement of talent and creativity of capable Moroccans and Algerians. So why keep doing it? To attempt to answer this question, one has to look at the political history of modern Morocco and Algeria specially: The newly independent Algeria's annexation of the Moroccan territories of Bechar and Tindouf, the Sand Wars of 1963, the return of the Western Sahara to Morocco; and the political changes in Morocco and lack thereof in Algeria. Aside from the question of political changes, the rest of the outstanding issues between Rabat and Algiers are old, mute and irrelevant to today's generation; and thus there is no reason to dwell on them. On the economic front, today we see a new breed of leaders in Morocco taking over key positions and bring in a new perspective to old problems. Today's Morocco, with all of its poverty and mediocre educational system, is resiliently a vibrant place where you can open a business, start a company, join a political party and have, to some degree, open discussion on critical matters. These significant developments did not happen by chance, but rather are the results of efforts by King Mohammed VI and the civil society to modernize the country. In contrast, Algeria seems stuck in the Boumedienne era. In effect, a good number of leaders in today's Algerian political apparatus, including President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, are leftovers from the Boumedienne days. This political stagnation is having devastating effects on the Algerian economy and society. While Morocco and Tunisia have made great strides toward economic transformation, Algeria is alarmingly lagging behind. Judging by the significant amount of direct foreign investments in Tunisia and Morocco, big international firms have consistently showed confidence in the economic system and the health of the economies of both countries. Algeria wealthy in oil, gas, and young vibrant population should be ahead of both of its neighbors in economic development. Smart, intelligent and entrepreneurial young Algerians are very successful in Canada and Europe and willing to go back to their homeland to help and share their successes with their countrymen by investing and contributing their expertise. The same young Algerians who can save the country are systematically marginalized by the current political leadership that is benefiting from the status quo at the expense of the Algerian people. Simply put, if Morocco and Tunisia can do it, so can Algeria. Algeria has all the ingredients to be an economic power house in North Africa, but unfortunately this is not the case. This wasted wealth is obviously the result of corruption and mismanagement at the higher echelon of the Algerian political establishment and not lack of resources and human capital which Algeria has had with abundance. Mind you, Morocco just like Algeria is plagued with corruption, unnecessary red tape, nepotism and a slow moving bureaucracy; and recently in Algeria illegal immigration toward Europe (Nearly half of Algeria's young men want to migrate illegally to Europe, a poll published December 2008 suggests, illustrating the social unease of this North African nation.(AP 12/04/2008) ). The difference, however, is that in Morocco there is a political will to tackle these issues and resolve them. This political will is sorrowfully absent in El Mouradia. Many Moroccans hope to see a new generation in charge in Algeria. A generation that views Morocco as a brother and not a nemesis. History has shown that change comes whether or not we like it, lets hope for a positive one for the sake of a united Maghreb (Arabo-Amazigh).
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