Morocco renews rejection of any project or proposal meant to harm its territorial integrity
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 2/21/2002

The government of Morocco on Thursday renewed its categorical rejection of any project or proposal meant to harm Morocco's territorial integrity and inalienable sovereignty over its southern provinces.

This came in a communiqu? made public Thursday by the government, following a council meeting chaired by Prime Minister, Abderrahmane Yousoufi.

The government of Morocco wishes to express its total opposition to any kind of discussion on the partition of the region, the communiqu? said, adding this idea (of partition), whose origin is well known to observers, is a new plot of the enemies of our territorial integrity whose objective has always been to weaken Morocco and severe it from its historical and natural environment.

Meantime, The Moroccan political class was unanimous to denounce the Algerian initiative, included in Tuesday's report of the United Nations Secretary-General to the Security Council, to partition the Moroccan southern provinces as an evidence to Algeria's expansionist schemes in the region.

Leader of the nationalist Istiqlal party, Abbas El Fassi, said Wednesday the possibility of partitioning the Sahara provinces was actually a proposal by Algeria which harbors expansionist ambitions in the region and has been leading the international community astray.

Commenting on one of the four options cited in Annan's report, El Fassi noted that the fact that Algeria accepts the partitioning of Sakiat Al Hamra and Oued Eddahab and seeks to divide the Moroccan people, means that it does not believe in the unity of people.

He explained that any partitioning is refused as it harms Moroccan sovereignty and serves neither the Arab Maghreb Union nor the neighborliness principle.

The party's leader further insisted that Morocco is actually present on its Sahara provinces and that the upcoming elections (due in Morocco next September) will also be held in Sakiat Al Hamra and Oued Eddahab, which are part and parcel of Morocco.

The Moroccan people, King and government, do believe in the irreversibility of the Moroccanity of the Sahara, he insisted, recalling that Morocco supported the referendum provided that all persons hailing from the Sahara are allowed to participate but the separatists and their Algerian mentors have been striving to hamper the referendum. EL Fassi recalled how after several years, the UN secretary general and his representatives have proposed a framework-agreement and despite its reserves, Morocco considered it as an essential positive step that grants to Morocco the sovereignty over Sakiat Al Hamra and Oued Eddahab and that should be credited to King Mohammed VI and his government.

For Mohand Laenser, secretary general of the Popular Movement, only a solution respecting Morocco's sovereignty over the territory shall be accepted. He renewed his party's permanent stance that no other solution other than one that preserves Morocco's unity and its sovereignty over all over its territory shall be accepted.

For us, he went on, there is no need even to ask the question, since there is unanimity and a sacred union with the king. The issue is beyond any political claims and games, he insisted.

Human rights minister, Ahmed Aujjar, who is also member of the centrist party "RNI" leadership, expressed Morocco's refusal to any solution that would harm its territorial integrity, national sovereignty and the existing symbiosis that reflects the unity and identity of the Moroccan identity in all its components. The official recalled how Morocco has been adopting constructive stances through 25 years while the other party has foiled all peace initiatives.

Aujjar further underscored that Algeria's latest proposal reflects its real stance on the Sahara issue and unveils the slogans and attitudes behind which it used to hide. It has also revealed to the whole world the true image of Algeria which is only after an access to the Atlantic Ocean and after a micro-state to serve its hegemonic ambitions.

Morocco, which rejects this attitude because the Moroccan diplomacy action has always been based on international legality, cannot accept any negotiation nor political arrangement when it comes to its territorial integrity, Aujjar said.

The Front of Democratic Forces (FFD) said by putting forward the partitioning proposal, Algeria has unveiled its positions regarding Morocco's territorial integrity.

Any option regarding the Moroccan Sahara should take into account Morocco's sovereignty over all its provinces, the FFD's executive bureau said in a release.

Morocco will remain attached to its legitimate and historical rights and unity and rejects any overbids, said the FFD, which underlined that Algeria is behind the artificial issue of the Moroccan Sahara.

In his latest report to the security council, Annan outlines four options to settle the Sahara issue: either to implement the settlement plan, revise the framework agreement, partition the territory or end the UN mission in the territory.

In his observations and recommendations, Annan noted regarding the partitioning contingency that his personal envoy, James Baker, sees that even though Algeria and the separatists support it, it would be useless to carry on for the moment such discussions (.) since Morocco refused to discuss this approach.

The Moroccan media, which lavishly commented on the issue this Thursday, also reached the same conclusions that Annan's fourth option actually uncovers Algeria's true schemes which are only to create a puppet state that will be completely loyal to it and to have an access to the Atlantic Ocean.

Previous Stories:
  Morocco exacts unconditional release of Moroccans detained on Algerian soil   (2/14/2002)
  Association calls for inquiry in siphoning of parcels sent to Moroccan prisoners detained in Algeria   (2/4/2002)
  Settlement of Sahara issue lies in UN framework-agreement, Moroccan fm   (1/21/2002)

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