Sahara issue is an Algerian-Moroccan affair, diplomat
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 4/24/2002

The Sahara issue is an Algerian-Moroccan affair and no solution is possible without negotiations between Algeria and Morocco, the Moroccan permanent representative to the United Nations said Wednesday.

"No solution to the Sahara issue can be fruitful unless it is integrated in inter-Maghreban relations," Mohamed Bennouna told the London-based Al-Hayat daily.

He equally stressed that no reasonable solution can be fruitful outside the frame-work agreement (brokered by the UN Secretary General's special envoy, James baker), while entitling inhabitants to exercise their prerogatives democratically and while preserving the Moroccan sovereignty.

The diplomat noted that it is impossible to apply the referendum proposal and that nobody backs the partition of the Sahara.

Bennouna insisted that the Sahara issue is a Moroccan-Algerian affair that will be settled only through negotiations between Rabat and Algiers.

"The Polisario front is only a hostage and a mere puppet that has no freedom of action," he said, despite this, "we affirm that we are ready to negotiate with it."

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