In the North African region, there are other kinds of rockets. Statements and counter statements prevail in Morocco and Algeria indicating that the media ‘rocket propellers' are still in place despite the fluctuating rapprochement and estrangement periods. During his last visit to Morocco, Algerian Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci called on halting the media campaigns in order to allow more room for political action. However, Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal accused Rabat of practicing apartheid in the Sahara. Meanwhile, severely worded criticism was made in Rabat against Algeria, which means that the two neighboring countries are still paranoid about one another. Morocco had left the Organization of African Unity some three decades ago to object to the organization's acknowledgement of the “Sahrawi Republic." However, Sellal's statements at the summit of the African Union in Addis Ababa gave the impression that the conflicts of these two countries that had previously spilled out to the African arena are still unchanged although the file of the Sahara is now being dealt with at the level of the UN. Most likely, the solution is now out of reach. The estrangement between the two countries at this point will certainly have adverse repercussions on the Maghreb Union, which is quite affected by the mood of the largest two neighbors in North Africa. Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki had hoped that the post-revolution Tunisia will be hosting an improved version of the Maghreb Al-Wifaq organization. However, the excessive sensitivities between Morocco and Algeria formed a growing ball of snow that blocked Marzouki's hopes. Marzouki is not the only side trying to find a solution to the clouded atmosphere. The International Envoy to the Sahara, Christopher Ross, will soon be launching a new tour in the region amidst non-reassuring circumstances. Ross had expressed his enthusiasm and optimism in possibly building rapprochement bridges between the two neighbors. Through this endeavor of his, Ross aims at coming up with the features of an agreement and at coordinating the dealing with the security challenges in the Sahel area, especially that the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon believes that these growing challenges call for speeding up the quest for a solution in the Sahara. The Moroccan-Algerian showdown on the African arena was concluded with the acknowledgment of the Sahrawi Republic by the Organization of African Unity. Rabat considered this acknowledgement as illegal and this position led nowhere. The African Union – that suffers from the organization's same flaws – called during its latest conference on supporting the UN-sponsored negotiations. However, for two decades now, the international efforts have failed to reach a proper agreement and only resulted in a loose “political solution," consisting of additional conflicting interpretations of its contents, essence and legal and political references. The only thing that has yet to be tried with this long-term conflict consists of testing the effect of the Moroccan-Algerian détente on the settlement efforts regardless of the conflicting positions. Ban Ki-moon and his personal envoy, Christopher Ross, were aware of the need to grab that thin thread in order to obtain a regional support for the settlement efforts. However, the different positions grew even further and the gap expanded thus defying the principle of the mutual compromises. A few weeks ago, Ban expressed his keenness on seeing a bilateral rapprochement, resulting in opening the closed borders between the two neighbors. However, the response was unsatisfactory. It seems that the decisions of escalation or coldness between the two countries will not be affected by the health status of the Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika: In the waiting phase, cards, motives and backdrops all get shuffled. However, Rabat was keen on responding in a different manner where it gave to the meetings of the African Development Bank in Marrakesh a larger dimension, one that is linked to the axis of its African relations. The bank funds some major developmental projects such as the establishment of transportation networks, thus improving the economic sector for additional African countries by expanding the available structures and facilities. Unfortunately, the bank will not be able to find a similar project connecting the capitals of North Africa. During the period of détente, these capitals proudly spoke about the establishment of the longest railway extending from Marrakesh to Egypt. However, the political differences abort the economic projects that are supposed to provide reasons for understanding and solidarity.
