Tunisian president was a prominent opposition figure and human rights ...

Moncef Marzouki (left) greets Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz in Tunis last month (AFP/File, Fethi Belaid) In his first appearance Tunisia president already refuses to recognize Western Sahara as part of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA)  Tunisian president Moncef Marzouki is about to start his first drive to Morocco, Algeria and Mauritania in effort to bring UMA together as he planes to call for a summit.   "This visit is aimed at reviving the Arab Maghreb Union and discussing the holding of a summit that Tunisia proposes to host," Marzouki's spokesman Adane Moncer said. The UMA was created in 1989 as a trade agreement meant to eventually achieve deeper political integration however the presence of the Republic Arab Saharawi Democratic (SADR) has led to Morocco to withdraw from the union similarly from African Union. Marzoki is due to meet  Morocco's King Mohammed VI, and his new moderate Islamist prime minister, Abdelilah Benkirane,  before holding talks in Mauritania and wrapping up in Algeria, where is due to meet President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Ignoring the SADR which asa   player in the region will definitely contradict with President Marzouki principles; The new Tunisian president was a prominent opposition figure and human rights campaigner under the 23-year-rule of Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who was brought down by a popular uprising in January 2011. He Call for what he claims to be “Maghreb of freedom” will be entirely regarded as violating and supporting the violation of the Saharawi rights for self-determination. Whether or not he admits that Western Sahara exists and unless he consider the fact that SADR has the right to be represented in the Maghreb Union will be an obstacle. As two out of three Maghreb Union members recognize Western Sahara. Therefore and before he start unifying the region he should look in the possibility of making a resolution of the 36 years old Conflict. Prioritizing the economic and trade agreements and ignoring human rights will not be an appropriate approach to seek a bright future for the region, The region rather need to discuss security issues as countries such as Algeria, Mauritania ad lately the Western Sahara liberated  zone  have been affected by the surge in activity of Al Qaeda's north African branch.