Mohammad el-Ashab, writing in Al Hayat, takes a look at the proposed tunnel between Spain and Morocco and says it is going to be far more than just a bridge between the continents - it will be an opportunity for Arab league and the Maghreb Union to build bridges of their own.
A Moroccan Bridge to… Andalusia!
By Mohammad el-Ashab
The descendants of Moroccan general Tariq Ibn Ziyad and Spanish King Felipe V are trying to once again bridge the gap between the two continents. What nature has achieved with volcanic eruptions, soil erosion and the sea extended between Europe and Africa, humankind now seeks to restore, by binding the branches to the roots.
Five centuries ago, Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain across the Atlantic to discover America. At around the same time, Moroccan geographer Al-Sharif Al-Idrisi advocated the spherical shape of the earth. It is paradoxical that Al-Idrisi lived in the city of Ceuta in Northern Morocco, today under Spanish occupation.
Today, it looks as if the most likely discovery at hand for both the Spanish and the Moroccans is submitting to the logic of nature by once again looking into the grand project of a land connection between Africa and Europe, in the form of a tunnel of colossal proportions, an accomplishment which had been difficult to imagine. However, scientific and technological progress has made it a matter of political will and financial capabilities. Such a tunnel would not merely be connecting two countries, as with the Channel Tunnel between France and Britain, but two continents.
Beyond the scientific and technical aspect of a project of such proportions, the initiative of bridging the continental gap between Europe and Africa has come from two countries, Spain and Morocco, which have yet to solve their political disputes over the fate of the occupied cities of Ceuta and Melilla. One cannot recall the common history of the two countries, from the Islamic Conquest to the collapse of the Taifa kingdoms and the fall of Andalusia, without mentioning the role played by these two cities, in peace and in war, in prosperity and in decline.
Nevertheless, it is true that the future perspectives of such a continent-connecting project will help overcome current difficulties and integrate border territories on the Mediterranean coast into a wider space for cooperation. As for Spain's claims of sovereignty over territories on the African continent, they can be toned down by providing it with face-saving economic and commercial interests. In turn, Morocco's demands in terms of holding on to sovereignty may be met with sympathy on the part of its northern neighbor by widening the scope of bilateral cooperation. Such cooperation will take on a continental dimension through which Spain, which has been aspiring to expand its influence vertically towards the African continent, can be confident of the new horizons ahead.
That is not the only gain. Morocco's opening up to Spain has represented a notable step towards overcoming sensitivities resulting from the influx of Moroccan goods into European space through Spain. If Spain reciprocates, it will provide Rabat with a privileged situation in its ties with Europe: more than a partnership and less than full membership.
Opening up at such an advanced degree will certainly benefit the region of North Africa as a whole. It will curb illegal immigration while allowing for the smooth flow of migrants within the framework of multilateral cooperation between countries of emigration and host countries, considering the increasing need of EU countries for both white-collar and blue-collar labor force. It will also be helpful in bringing the Arab Maghreb Union out of its slumber and paralysis, as the European Union wishes it to be its equivalent interlocutor. Added to that are the necessities imposed by integration into the Union for the Mediterranean, especially as one of the Union's priorities is the implementation of concrete projects, including transports and establishing additional duty-free zones, as well as trading political clichés with concrete economic terms.
When Morocco and Spain go to Luxemburg to put forth the project of an intercontinental land connection between Africa and Europe, many will be absent: the Arab Maghreb Union, which is facing difficulties in proving itself; the African Union, of which Morocco is not a member; and the Arab League, which can revive a trilateral dialogue between Africa, Europe and the Arab World. However, the opportunity has not yet passed, as the project is still being formed and Arab countries should get involved. The road back to Andalusia is paved with new concepts and values, ones which adopt the language of the age.
Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
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