Indonesia's Relations with Arab Maghreb Union Nations: Challenges and Priorities

The Union of Arab Maghreb (UMA), an organization uniting five North African nations, Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Mauritania, was founded in 1989 with the aim of fostering economic and political integration. Despite its goals, the UMA has seen limited progress, largely due to deep-seated political disputes among its members. The most significant obstacle has been the ongoing conflict between Algeria and Morocco concerning the status of Western Sahara, which has prevented high-level summits since the mid-1990s.

Headquartered in Rabat, Morocco, the UMA's primary objectives included facilitating the free movement of people, services, goods, and capital, alongside strengthening commercial and cultural ties. However, the organization's activities have remained largely dormant. While a trade agreement framework exists to connect the region's over 100 million inhabitants, the political discord has significantly hampered its effectiveness.

Indonesia shares a historical connection with the UMA states, rooted in anti-colonial solidarity and Islamic fraternity dating back to before 1955. During Indonesia's early years of independence, it actively supported the liberation movements in North Africa against French and Spanish colonial rule. The article poses questions about the current direction of Indonesia's relationship with these nations and the priorities of President Prabowo Subianto's administration in enhancing these ties.

Beyond political figures like the late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, the region is also known for intellectual figures such as the Tunisian sociologist Ibnu Khaldun. For Indonesian Islamic scholars, the UMA region is familiar through classical texts and Sufi orders like Tarekat Tidjani. The article also notes that contemporary Indonesians, particularly football fans, might recognize figures like Achraf Hakimi and Karim Benzema, who have roots in UMA countries.