Long crippled by political rivalries and authoritarian regimes, the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) has long appeared doomed to fail. Yet in the digital age, a new dynamic is emerging. With modern communication tools, rising civic awareness, evolving mutual perceptions, and shifting global geopolitics, the peoples of the Maghreb are reclaiming their shared future. A union once blocked by governments is now being revived — from below.

For decades, the idea of a united Maghreb — bringing together Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Mauritania — has remained largely a dream. Since the official creation of the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) in 1989, the project has stagnated, trapped in diplomatic paralysis, authoritarian politics, and regional rivalries. But today, the digital revolution and the awakening of Maghreb civil societies are opening a new path forward. More than ever before, the vision of a united Maghreb is within reach. Four main factors help explain why.

The End of Authoritarian Control Over Dialogue

The first — and perhaps most decisive — factor is the rise of digital communication tools. Platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and social media have dismantled the traditional barriers that once prevented dialogue across the region. Where physical meetings once required state approval and travel visas, today’s virtual spaces allow for debates, conferences, and collaboration outside the reach of censorship.

This marks a major shift. In the past, attempts to convene regional dialogue were blocked by political interference. One notable yet little-known example is the initiative led by the late Mohamed Bensaïd Aït Idder, a Moroccan resistance hero and leftist leader. With informal approval from royal advisor Fouad Ali El Himma, Aït Idder organized a conference in Rabat that was to bring together representatives from all five Maghreb countries and the Polisario Front. But at the last minute, visas were denied, and El Himma ceased responding to Aït Idder’s calls. A similar initiative by Abraham Serfaty, a prominent left-wing activist and former political prisoner, was also shut down in 1999.

Today, such efforts are no longer held hostage to government whims. A recent initiative by Jamal Benomar — former United Nations Under-Secretary-General — exemplifies this shift. From the International Center for Dialogue Initiatives he directs in New York, Benomar has launched a project to bring together voices from across the Maghreb, including representatives of the Polisario. Thanks to digital tools, this effort is not only feasible — it is already underway.

The Rise of Political Awareness in Civil Societies

The second factor is the growing political consciousness of the Maghreb’s populations, catalyzed by the 2011 uprisings. Across the region — in Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and beyond — citizens have demanded democratic reforms, transparency, and basic rights. This wave of civic awareness has weakened authoritarian propaganda and the decades-long manipulation of public opinion, especially regarding tensions between Morocco and Algeria.

Social media has played a crucial role in this shift. It has opened a window to the world, bypassing state-controlled media and enabling young people to engage in debate, exchange perspectives, and imagine a shared regional future. While disinformation and hate speech remain concerns, the overall impact of digital platforms on cross-border understanding has been positive.

Changing Perceptions and Mutual Representations

A third key factor is the transformation of how Maghreb peoples perceive one another — a crucial dimension of geopolitical relations. As French geographer Yves Lacoste famously noted, geography is about power, and so are perceptions. For decades, state media in Morocco and Algeria cultivated mutual suspicion and enemy narratives. But today, digital connectivity has allowed these images to be reshaped.

Through online dialogue, cultural exchange, and direct engagement, young Moroccans and Algerians — along with Tunisians, Mauritanians, Libyans, and Sahrawis — are developing more nuanced and humanized views of each other. These evolving perceptions are laying the emotional and cultural groundwork for a renewed regional consciousness — one that sees unity not as a threat, but as an opportunity.

A Changing Global Geopolitical Landscape

The final factor is the broader transformation of the global order. In an era marked by geopolitical realignment, regional blocs have become more important than ever. From the European Union to the Association of South East Asian Nations, unified regions have greater economic clout, political influence, and strategic leverage.

Maghreb populations are increasingly aware that fragmentation leads to weakness and marginalization. Facing shared transnational challenges — climate change, migration, food insecurity, and security threats — citizens across the region are beginning to recognize that only collective solutions can offer real resilience. The era of zero-sum nationalism is giving way to a more pragmatic, interdependent vision.

Obstacles remain, but can be overcome 

Of course, major obstacles persist. Diplomatic relations between Morocco and Algeria remain severed, further strained by Morocco’s normalization of ties with Israel. More recently, tensions escalated between Morocco and Tunisia after President Kaïs Saïed received Polisario leader Brahim Ghali in Tunis. Such frictions continue to block official initiatives toward union.

Yet these diplomatic blockades no longer define the entirety of the political landscape. Civil society actors, intellectuals, activists, and diaspora communities are creating new channels for dialogue and cooperation. The initiative spearheaded by Jamal Benomar stands as proof that a new type of Maghreb dialogue is possible — inclusive, transnational, and citizen-driven. These grassroots efforts can isolate authoritarian regimes by demonstrating that unity is both technically feasible and widely supported.

A New Horizon

The Arab Maghreb Union has long been seen as a failed institution — a relic of pan-Arab dreams. But today, thanks to digital tools, a renewed sense of political agency, shifting public perceptions, and an evolving global order, the dream of Maghreb unity is no longer unrealistic. It is an open path, paved not by statecraft but by civil courage.

This time, it’s not about empty declarations from high-level summits. It’s about concrete, decentralized action. It’s about people speaking across borders. And ultimately, it’s about reclaiming the future — one conversation, one initiative, one digital link at a time.

Said Salmi is a former Professor of Geopolitics at Franche Comté University in France, researcher and documentary producer at Noon Films, a British production house.