Arab League barred from Sahara

Former Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa Nouakchott - Habib al-Qurashi Former Egyptian presidential candidate Amr Moussa does not regret running during the 2012 elections. The ex Secretary-General of the Arab League, asserted that the Muslim Brotherhood would not garner the same support if a new election was held. The party leader claimed that the current government is out of touch with the needs of the Egyptian people post-revolution. Moussa placed fifth in the election with 11.13 percent of the first round vote. After the election, he formed the Conference Party with which a number of smaller opposition parties aligned. Moussa joined Arabstoday for an exclusive interview, where he gave insight into his relationship with Mauritania and the obstacles facing the revival of the Arab Maghreb. The party leader also discusses his view on the issue of the disputed territory of Western Sahara bordered by Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania. How important was the issue of Mauritania when you were the Secretary General of the League of Arab States? During the decade which I spent as Secretary-General of the Arab League, it was necessary to recognise the situation in all Arab countries. I visited Mauritania several times and the role of Mauritania at the League has begun to increase significantly with the successive foreign ministers who have been appointed since. Why did the Arab League fail to solve the problem of Western Sahara, leaving it to be dealt with by the United Nations (UN)? Why do you think all initiatives to find a solution have failed? The African Union and the parties involved in the conflict were the ones who asked the League to leave the issue to the UN. We followed through and continued to support any initiative put forward by the UN. We can’t place the blame on the Arab League because there was a previous agreement among all parties involved. From your experience and your position in the Arab League do you think Algeria is intentionally prolonging the crisis as rumored? I do not think that anyone has an interest to continue the conflict. All regions have shown their desire for change and hope for a better life in the near future. Do you think the Arab Maghreb will succeed in its revival? Particularly in the context that the Tunisian initiative to hold a summit of the Maghreb by the end of 2012 did not succeed?  There will always be obstacles facing this Union, but I hope that the Maghreb countries will overcome them. Of course the problems which prevent that are known to everyone and the issues of change that took place in the region make it important to revive the Maghreb system. It would greatly help to coordinate economic and social development in these countries. In August 2008 a military coup took place in Mauritania that toppled the President, what was your reaction as Secretary-General of the Arab League at the time? What were the most difficult situations you faced during that political crisis? This situation was very difficult, I remember rushing immediately to contact Mohamed Weld Abdelaziz (former Mauritanian president) when it happened. I also contacted some Mauritanian political forces to debate the issue. We tried to stabilize the situation as soon as possible and return normal life the country. The coup had a negative impact on the economy and previous development efforts unfortunately. But we thank God for the peaceful settlement and I wish Mauritania stability and prosperity. Did you encounter any funny situations when dealing with Mauritanian officials? I have a good relationship with many Mauritanian officials from the highest levels, in particular the foreign ministers. I always used to share jokes with them. I was also surprised and amused by the speed and frequency the Minister of Foreign Affairs was change. I remember meeting one minister the six months later he had been replaced. It’s a funny Mauritanian stereotype. Do you remember the names of all the Mauritanian foreign ministers who passed through?  Of course not. Why do you think there has been a prominent rise of political Islamic parties in Morocco and Egypt? Did you think they pose a real threat to democracy in these countries? This evolution and the rise of these parties happened after each countries revolution respectively. The problem was that there was no plan for what would occur after. These groups were the only alternatives ready to take over. The Islamic parties saw the opportunity to adopt the revolution and gain supporters. But the issue is not just overthrowing regimes, but the rebuilding of countries. Here is where the cracks appear these Islamic movements seek to rebuild the country using policies not supported by the majority. These same policies were fought against during the uprisings. So as you can see there is a slow retreat happening by these parties as it is becoming increasingly evident that neither are able do the job. Speaking of the recent clashes in Egypt between Copts and Muslims, there have been rumours that a group seeks to ignite the fire of sectarian strife. In your opinion who would benefit from such conflict in the country? I think that the ones involved in the conflict can only answer that question. But I think the violence is a result of tension building in Egypt in general. People are unsettled and unfortunately this was the result.  The incidents represent the backwardness and ignorance of some people, who seek to distinguish themselves from other citizens. Whether it is based on religion, race, color or creed, it’s considered one of the manifestations of underdevelopment.  All citizen are entitled to freedom and to live with dignity, and therefore I am against what happened in Egypt. We should punish those who caused the trouble as warning to others. You ran during the presidential elections in 2012, but lost out to the Muslim Brotherhood. Some people considered the result a farce; do you think the decision to elect them was wrong? Never. Just gaining exposure in politics and trying to win the votes of the electorate  is a very good thing, and the  result must be accepted as long as proceedings were fair. But I do not think President Mohamed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood would achieve the same results if the election was held today.