Emerging from the western shadows

Abstract

Oujda, situated in the Northeastern region (Oriental) near the Algerian border, has a historical connection to Algeria that is stronger than its connection to the western regions of its own country. However, a difficult border situation has existed between Oujda and Algeria since 1994 due to escalating tensions. This border location has impacted Oujda throughout its long history, which exists for over a thousand years. The effects of this were clearly visible after the French colonization of Algeria in 1830 and Tunisia in 1881, which led to the colonization of Morocco. Morocco supported the Algerian resistance against the French government, which resulted in the expansion of the French protectorate in the ‘Maghrib’. Independence (1956) resulted in the reconstruction of national identity and post-colonial developments in Northeastern Morocco, which included the creation of new infrastructure projects and boundaries. Yet it had to deal with underinvestment during independence, as development efforts focused on Morocco’s economic centers such as Casablanca and Rabat. The Northeastern region's development has been significantly influenced by transborder interactions with Algeria and Spain. Illicit cross-border trade between local communities within and outside the country has helped to boost the regional economy over time. Legal trade traffic could only be done by air or sea, leading to new investments in infrastructure and technology to support the increasing demand for trade and commerce. Morocco's once-neglected eastern region has already developed into a more resilient region than before, with visible growth and expansion of the city and its surrounding areas.