Moroccan political parties reject Baker's plan for sahara as dangerous escalation
Morocco-UN, Politics, 10/27/2003

Over 10 Moroccan political parties reiterated on Friday their refusal of the plan for the Sahara issue, crafted by the UN secretary general's personal envoy, James Baker, as "a dangerous escalation in an artificial conflict."

Fourteen political parties held on Friday a press conference in Rabat to unveil Baker's plan failure to observe objectivity and neutrality by misinterpreting resolution 1495 of the security council. They also expressed resolve to face any attempt meant to sow doubt over the reality that the Sahara is Moroccan territory.

Expressing serious worries over dangerous deviations that have marred and are still marring the political settlement process, leaders of the 14 parties say "the peace plan" proposed by Baker is rather a step backward to a plan that proved impossible to carry out, an impossibility that Baker himself admitted. For them, this new formula runs counters to the United Nations principles that seek to consolidate world peace, security and stability.

Morocco will never accept a solution that does not cater for its sovereignty over all of its territory and Moroccans are determined to thwart any attempt to challenge that the Sahara is Moroccan or undermine the country's unity, they insisted. Algeria was held responsible by the parties for the procrastination of the artificial conflict and for the plight and inhumane conditions of Moroccans sequestered in Tindouf (stronghold of the Polisario in southwestern Algeria), in total violation of the international humanitarian law. Algeria is also blamed for "continuing to oppose any political settlement of the Moroccan Sahara issue."

An appeal was launched to the UNO to take action for the Moroccans sequestered by the Polisario secessionist group to be entitled to freely express their will to go back to their homeland, Morocco.

The parties also voiced satisfaction with the UN efforts to reach a political settlement and over the number of countries that decided to withdraw their recognition of the "Polisario."

The press conference was held one week after the political parties published a communique in which they drew attention to the fact that "the Sahara conflict is basically a conflict with Algerian leaders and not with the Algerian brother people."

The communiqué is signed by the parties Choura and Istiqlal, the Constitutional Union, the National Democrat Party, the Democratic and Social Movement, the Justice and Development Party, the National Popular Movement, the Action Party, the Party of Citizen Forces, the Party of Renewal and Equity, the Party of Environment and Development, the Moroccan Liberal Party, the Party of Citizen Initiative and Development, the Social Center Party, and the Party of Reform and Development.

On Thursday, the Moroccan government, expressed at its weekly meeting, "strong reserves over any solution that would undermine Morocco's territorial integrity and national sovereignty," and voiced readiness for dialogue and negotiations. Contacts will be undertaken with governments of the Security Council permanent member countries in order to inform them on the need to abstain from endorsing Baker's option, to avert a serious deviation that is likely to torpedo the international community efforts.

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