In any case, Western Sahara is the responsibility of long-time regime strongman Interior Minister Driss Basri. Whether or not his powers will eventually be curtailed by the young king, he is deemed indispensable for ensuring the proper outcome of the issue. On a related note is the question of relations with Algeria, Morocco's long-time geopolitical and ideological rival for primacy in North Africa. Since 1994, relations have been tense and their common land border has been closed. Algeria remains committed to its Polisario prot g in Western Sahara, at least to ensure it every opportunity to win in the referendum.
Mutual suspicions abound regarding alleged support for each other's Islamist movements.
At the same time, both countries have been careful to ensure that their animosities do not deteriorate into a shooting war. Algeria's newly elected president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, attended Hassan's funeral, portending a possible thaw in the relationship. Regarding the Arab-Israeli peace process, the king's role as a diplomatic intermediary is probably no longer required. But Morocco can and probably will seek to renew its active role in the multilateral track of the peace process, which is likely to be reinvigorated in the coming months and years. For the new king, participation in such activities will help enhance his own status.