Quo Vadis: The Direction of Indonesia's Relations with UMA Countries

For some Indonesians, the countries under the Union du Maghreb Arabe (UMA), or Arab Maghreb Union, may still be unfamiliar. Indonesian football fans are more familiar with current football megastars like Achraf Hakimi, Lamine Yamal from the Spanish national team, Karim Benzema, the French football star who plays for Al-Hilal (Saudi Arabia), or legendary French star Zidane, or Rayan Ellaoumi (Canada). In fact, these football stars are descendants of UMA countries (Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia).

In the political world, Indonesians, especially Baby Boomers and Generation X, are very familiar with the late Muammar Gaddafi (Leader of Libya), the phenomenal anti-West figure, and other figures such as the prominent Muslim sociologist Ibnu Khaldun from Tunisia. Meanwhile, Nusantara scholars are more familiar with classical texts like Dalail Khairat or the Tidjani Tariqa.

The Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), comprising five Arab countries in North Africa—Morocco, Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, and Mauritania—is a political and economic organisation founded on 17 February 1989 in Marrakech, Morocco. Its goal was to integrate these five countries, although progress has been hampered by regional political disputes. Headquartered in Rabat, Morocco, the UMA’s primary objective was to facilitate the free movement of people, services, goods, and capital among member states and to foster closer commercial and cultural ties. However, the organisation’s activities have largely remained dormant. Deep diplomatic disputes—particularly between Algeria and Morocco over the Western Sahara issue—have prevented real progress, with the high-level presidential council not holding a summit since the mid-1990s. Despite these challenges, the trade agreement serves as a basic framework intended to unite a region with a combined population of over 100 million people.

What then is the direction of relations between Indonesia and these UMA countries? What challenges does Indonesia face in its efforts to enhance relations with countries in the region, and what are the priorities of President Prabowo Subianto’s administration in strengthening ties with UMA nations?

Before 1955, relations between Indonesia and the Arab Maghreb countries, especially Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, were marked by anti-colonial solidarity, Islamic brotherhood, and grassroots diplomatic advocacy. Newly independent Indonesia supported the independence movements of North African countries against French and Spanish colonial rule. A significant milestone in these pre-1955 relations was the establishment of the North Africa Committee in 1951. Indonesia’s Prime Minister at the time, Mohammad Natsir, founded the Action Committee for the Defence of the Independence of the North African People. This committee actively supported the independence struggles of the Algerian, Moroccan, and Tunisian people. From 1951, Indonesia used its newly acquired membership in the United Nations (UN) to consistently advocate for Tunisia’s independence from French colonial rule. Ahead of the historic Bandung Conference in 1955, Indonesia invited and hosted delegations from Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. Although these countries were not yet fully independent, Indonesia provided them with a vital international platform to voice their sovereignty.

Subsequently, bilateral relations between Indonesia and the Arab Maghreb countries shifted from historical solidarity-based ties to an era of aggressive economic integration, marked by trade agreements, halal certification, and strategic supply chain partnerships. Key strategic and economic directions now define the current Indonesia-UMA relationship. Bilateral relations focus on expanding two-way trade, increasing investment in energy and agriculture, and promoting cultural and educational diplomacy rooted in shared Islamic values and anti-colonial solidarity. In the economic and trade sector, economic issues are a main pillar of Indonesia’s relations with North African countries, underpinned by strengthened cooperation in strategic supply chains and infrastructure investment.