Morocco disclaims daily's call to back Basque separatists
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 3/15/2001

Moroccan Premier Abderrahmane Youssoufi disclaimed in Laayoune Wednesday the editorial published by a Moroccan daily calling to back the Basque separatists, saying it "does not at all reflect the stand of the Moroccan government and people."

Youssoufi told reporters Wednesday in the southern city of Laayoune that the sentence was a mere slip of the pen by the journalist and cannot be considered as a stand of the Moroccan government and people.

Al Alam daily, mouthpiece of the nationalist Istiqlal party which is represented in the government, had run an editorial on Tuesday calling Morocco to reciprocate to Spain's recurrent attacks on Morocco (regarding its Sahara provinces) by extending backing to the Basque separatists.

"We are opposed to separatism in our country and elsewhere. and the government rejects these insinuations, whatever their kind and whatever their origin are," Youssoufi said.

Moroccans do not appreciate the moves by some (Spanish) ngos and political institutions regarding the Sahara issue, the prime minister said, asserting "we do not back the Basque separatist movement in Spain and we side with the Spanish people in the defense of their territorial integrity."

Youssoufi, who is also first secretary of the socialist union of popular forces (USFP) was in Laayoune Wednesday to attend the 4th congress of the Moroccan trade union "La Confederation Democratique du travail" (CDT, close to the USFP).

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