Date of Award
Spring 5-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
International Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Crystal Murphy
Second Advisor
Dr. Andrea Molle
Third Advisor
Dr. Minju Kwon
Abstract
Tensions between Algeria and Morocco began after Algeria gained independence from France in 1962, culminating in the Sand War of 1963. Since then, various mediation efforts and economic reconciliation attempts have been initiated, but have consistently been hindered by differing stances—particularly regarding the Western Sahara conflict. I argue that economic interests, especially those in illicit trade, are impactful factors that have negatively affected the bilateral cooperation between Algeria and Morocco. To explain the factors facilitating bilateral relations, this project explores four variables: mediation attempts, regional development schemes, trade, and illicit economy. Qualitative data is used to provide historical-contextual and thematic analysis to assess the likelihood of economic rapprochement between the two countries spanning from 1954 to 2023. The empirical findings suggest that illicit trade has influenced the bilateral relationship between the two countries, which has negatively impacted each country’s economy. The other variables provide a favorable background on past cooperation attempts done from the 1960s to the 1980s, but are not as significant as illicit trade in the present. The project fills a gap in literature on bilateral cooperation between the countries by considering the important role of illicit trade in cooperation attempts. It provides policy implications to regional integration to improve the historical tensions between Algeria and Morocco by highlighting a potential cooperation opportunity in regards to security over illicit trade. Furthermore, these findings suggest that a legally recognized trade solution for those on the borders would allow for both countries to strengthen their economies rather than lose billions of dollars to illicit trade.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Laib, Sabrina. "What Role do Economic Interests Play in Improving Bilateral Relations Between Algeria and Morocco?." Master's thesis, Chapman University, 2025. https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000671
