Ethiopia and the Moroccan-Algerian border dispute within the corridors of the Organization of African Unity 1963-1972

Abstract

This research came to shed light on the nature of the Moroccan-Algerian conflict and the role of Ethiopia in ending the conflict within the framework of the organization. Therefore, the roots of tension and disagreement between Algeria and Morocco go back to the era of French colonialism, as the Algerian-Moroccan border is a controversial issue with geographical and political forms. It is the focus of the world’s attention and interest. The political division of the Maghreb is the result of the divisions resulting from the distribution of areas of influence between the colonial powers in Africa without taking into account the characteristics of societies, which led to the creation of disputes and tensions over those divisions, especially with regard to Algeria and Morocco. The Moroccan and Algerian parties disagreed over the Tindouf region affiliated with the Algerian authorities, as Morocco considers the Tindouf region to be affiliated with it, but France cut off the region in favor of Algeria after Algeria’s independence in 1962. As a result, Morocco occupied some border areas such as Hassi Beida, the villages of June, Tinjoub, and Hassi Bghair in September 1963. The fighting intensified between the two countries, and the two countries mobilized their forces. The Moroccan forces were able to seize the sites of Hassi Beida and Tinjoub, which were located on  After 50 km northeast of Tindouf, on the other hand, the Algerian forces besieged the Figuig area, so the battles expanded to include the Hassi Beida and Tindouf areas on one side and Figuig on the other side, and thus the conflict entered a new phase with the use of heavy weapons and the declaration of general mobilization, so a number of African countries intervened to end the conflict between the two countries, and at the forefront of the African countries was the Ethiopian government, which played a prominent role in reducing the intensity of the conflict within the framework of the Organization of African Unity, as Ethiopia chaired the organization’s committee to study the causes of the conflict between the two countries, and Ethiopia hosted the conflict issue in its country and called on the heads of the conflicting countries to resolve the conflict through peaceful means