March 9, 2026
“The Great Divide: Escalating Rivalry and Regional Security in the Maghreb” with Amine Ayoub
The Great Divide: Escalating Rivalry and Regional Security in the Maghreb
From the collapse of the Arab Maghreb Union to today’s frozen diplomatic ties between Morocco and Algeria, the Maghreb’s fraught and fractured politics are reshaping regional security.
The geopolitics of energy and pipeline diplomacy have turned North Africa into a strategic lifeline for Europe, especially amid shifting global energy markets. The long-running Western Sahara conflict has emerged as a flashpoint, driving military buildups and intensifying rivalry, while new alignments - from Morocco’s normalization with Israel under the Abraham Accords to expanding Russian influence across the Sahel - add fresh complexity to an already volatile landscape. What are the main fault lines in the deepening rift at the heart of North Africa? Who holds the advantage, and what are the implications for the U.S. and the West?
Amine Ayoub is a North Africa risk and intelligence consultant specializing in energy, security, and geopolitics. He is a writing fellow at the Middle East Forum and the founder of Maghreb Sentinel. He holds a Master of Arts in national security from the University of Haifa.
