Between Morocco and Algeria : Mauritania and the question of Western Sahara

Following the change of government and the election of a new president, Mauritania makes it clear that it hopes to resolve the issue of Western Sahara, which has divided Morocco and Algeria since the mid-1970s and still poses a seri-ous problem to Mauritanian foreign policy. Mauritania in this dispute is between the proverbial rock and a hard place, trying not to come into conflict with any of the powerful neighbors, each of whom aspires to the role of a leader in the region. The conflict also casts a shadow on regional cooperation within the Arab Maghreb Union, which, if it functioned, could greatly help in the economic development of the region, especially important for the economically weakest Mauritania. Over the last few years, Nouakchott has maintained the position of the so-called "posi-tive neutrality" which irritated the authorities in Rabat and created tense political relations with Morocco. The current striving for a more active role in the process of resolving the Western Saharan conflict seems to be largely dictated by the internal situation in Algeria and its troubles related to social protests demanding changes at the top of the government. Algeria has been the greatest ally of the Polisario Front and the Sahrawi cause so far. It is also not without significance that Morocco, af-ter years of absence, returned to the African Union - the move, which definitely strengthened Morocco’s position among the countries of the continent