Madrid Sahara standpoint casts doubts over Moroccan-Spanish ties, press
Morocco-Spain, Politics, 8/9/2003

Moroccan dailies, regardless of their trends, continued this Friday to widely comment the latest developments in the Moroccan Sahara issue, following the adoption of Security Council resolution 1495.

Several of these dailies slammed the position of Spain, whose delegate chairs the ongoing Security Council session, and warn that such a position risks to trap ties between the two neighbor kingdoms back into problems.

"Rissalat Al Oumma," daily of the constitutional Union (UC, opposition), wrote Friday that Madrid's position on the Sahara issue raises more than a question mark on the future of relations between Morocco and Spain.

"Spain's flagrant support to the separatist thesis that is backed by Algeria via its puppet in Tindouf scoffs at all rules of decency and neighborliness," said the paper underscoring that through its stand, Spain sides with Morocco's enemies.

Accusing Madrid of pushing the region toward "further tension and instability," Rissalat Al Oumma called Spain to "correct its mistake," rid itself of "colonial mentality," and engage in new negotiations with Morocco to avert rupture and warm up bilateral relations instead of encouraging mercenaries to work against Morocco's sovereignty and unity.

The newspaper believes that it is in Spain's interest to maintain balanced relations in the region and be unbiased, noting that this "blatant hostility" will only "rekindle feelings of hatred toward Spain" that risks to lose in Morocco "a friend and faithful country and an ally in the region."

In the same connection, Attajdid, daily of Morocco's recognized Islamist Party of Justice and Development (PJD), said the position of the Algerian labor party (PT) on the Baker plan and the Sahara question in harmony with that of Morocco.

PT spokeswoman, Louiza Hanoune, had told a press conference early this week that the Baker plan is likely to "create large tensions and we warn against this plan because it is an American plan that aims to enhance divisions in countries of the region, by starting with the western Sahara, Rif and then Kabylie."

The paper wondered if "Algeria is courageous enough to review its negative positions" on the Sahara question and take positive and practical initiatives that would profit to Morocco and the region.

Previous Stories:
  Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb: Morocco deplores Spain's stand over sahara   (8/4/2003)
  Morocco disappointed by Spain's position over sahara issue   (8/1/2003)
  Moroccan-Spanish task group on delimitation of maritime spaces to meet before mid-october   (7/26/2003)

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