ALGERIA-MOROCCO RIFT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL: In a move that took many by surprise, Algeria suddenly cut diplomatic ties with Morocco. A litany of causes were listed as reasons for the severing of relations, but the rift is alarming, and could have implications for broader security in the Sahel region, especially in the fight against Al Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Both Algeria and Morocco are major Arab states, and regional powers in their own right. And, at a time when Tunisia is facing political uncertainty and Libya is still unstable, this new development doesn’t bode well for Arab unity. [COMMENT BY: Omar Shariff, International Editor]
AFP