President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s speech, delivered by Minister Attaf on his behalf at the 34th Arab Summit in Baghdad, is unambiguous. It reaffirms Algeria’s commitment to the Arab cause and its concern for the Arab nation’s future in an increasingly complex environment where unity is an existential necessity. This summit occurs amid tense regional and global geopolitics, with the post-World War II world order undergoing rapid reconfiguration, marked by suffocating unilateralism.
Caught in this whirlwind of geostrategic shifts, the Arab world has lost its bearings and drifted from the noble goals that birthed the Arab League, a structure once thought unshakeable, meant to embody the strength of collective action. A mere illusion. Eighty years later, its foundations have weakened under a destructive realpolitik, and the “old lady of Cairo” no longer inspires. Decisions on core issues are now made elsewhere, driven by dubious, mercenary agendas. The genocide in Gaza exposes not the weakness of the “ummah”—which, with its assets, could challenge any power—but the self-serving calculations and unresolved grudges among its members. The League’s 22 members struggle to become a weighty, influential actor globally. The Palestinian issue, Sudan’s war, Libya’s conflict, Syria’s crisis, and other issues mark historic failures to restore the League’s prestige. Eighty years on, the dream of a unified ummah remains largely chimeric.
From this bitter realization, Algeria’s call for serious, in-depth reform of the Arab League gains urgency. Such reform is vital in a world where everything—mindsets, structures, regional alliances, priorities, and interests—has changed. Since its creation, the Arab League has seen no overhaul. Dusty and dilapidated, it repels rather than attracts. Some have even abandoned it, securing their interests with greenbacks. The bill has been paid, and the reward is a few carefully scripted announcements. The Baghdad summit will likely mirror its predecessors: a final communiqué and calls that go unanswered.
El Moudjahid
