What the new Trump administration means for the Maghreb

It has been a whirlwind few weeks of diplomatic meetings and maneuverings for the incoming Trump team, and it is already clear that the U.S. relationship with the Maghreb is going to be a more important one.

On Monday the new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita to commend the strong U.S.-Morocco partnership and for Morocco “advancing regional and global peace and security, under King Mohammed VI’s leadership.” 

It was a very important signal that the new U.S. administration was sending, as Rubio prioritized a call with Morocco over several European countries, including Spain, who have yet to hear from the new U.S. Secretary of State.

In the phone call between Rubio and Bourita it was clear that the Abraham Accords were going to once again play a significant part in the U.S.- Morocco dynamic.

U.S. spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the two sides were “committed to cooperate intensively in advancing shared interests in the region and ending conflicts, including building on the Abraham Accords.” 

It is easy to forget that King Mohammed VI, before the events of Oct 7, 2023, had been playing a pivotal behind the scenes role regarding Palestine. In July 2022 Morocco helped mediate an agreement for the West Bank’s Allenby Bridge crossing to be opened 24 hours a day to help ease travel for Palestinians. This was down to King Mohammed VI’s diplomatic input; he is also the chairman of the Al-Quds Committee, which supports the Holy City of Al-Quds. So it was no surprise that U.S. spokesperson Tammy Bruce went on to say that the two ministers discussed “implementation of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza, the release of the hostages, and Morocco’s leadership in contributing humanitarian aid for Gaza.” 

In December 2020 President Trump recognized Western Sahara as part of Morocco. A month later, the US ambassador to Morocco visited the Saharan city of Dakhla to begin the process of opening a consulate. Something that didn’t materialize under President Biden, an issue that will very likely be under discussion again with Trump’s return. 

President Trump often talks in terms of winners and losers, so it will be interesting to see how he approaches the rest of the region. Now there is considerable sparring with Egypt over Trump’s suggestion that Egypt take in Palestinians from Gaza. Egypt, along with Israel remains the only country, not to have its foreign aid frozen by the U.S. Regarding Algeria and Libya, will he ask them to choose between Washington and Moscow? On the surface Algeria views Rubio’s appointment unfavorably, as he has been very critical of the current regime in Algiers. Tunisia and the US are mutually indifferent it seems, so for now it looks like Morocco is the biggest winner.

One thing we do know about President Trump is that he is unpredictable, but he also fiercely loyal. Back in 2020 Trump recalled the close ties between Morocco and the U.S. reminding the world that Morocco is one of the United States oldest allies, having been among the first to recognize the independence of the young nation in 1777 when Sultan Mohammed III opened Morocco’s ports to US ships. It will be fascinating to see how the dynamics in the region with the U.S. play out again. 

*Kieran Baker is an Emmy award winning journalist who has started up various networks including Al Jazeera English, Bloomberg TV Africa and TRT World.