Sahara Issue: Moroccan Parties Support Morocco's Rejection of Separation Option
Morocco-Algeria, Politics, 4/24/2004

Moroccan parties have voiced support to the position of Morocco which said Thursday, in response to the UN latest proposal on the Sahara issue, it will not accept any solution providing for the separation of the Moroccan Sahara from the rest of the Kingdom, as claimed by the separatist group "Polisario."

Secretary general of the Popular Movement party (MP/in government), Mohand Laensar, said Morocco's answer to the UN proposal reiterated the "red lines" drawn by Morocco and that cannot be subject to any negotiations, namely the territorial unity, national sovereignty and constitutional monarchy.

The option of regionalization and decentralization --put forward by Morocco-- that would allow populations in different regions in Morocco, including the Sahara, to locally manage their affairs under the sovereignty of Morocco, is in line with the policy adopted by Morocco, he said.

"We cannot accept the plan floated by Baker (UN secretary general's personal envoy) that tends to separate these regions from Morocco," he said. This plan was rejected by Sahrawi tribes because, they said, it does not heed Morocco's sovereignty over the Sahara and risks to lead to inter-tribe strife in the region.

The same opinion was expressed by Secretary general of the party of progress and socialism (PPS/in government), Ismail Alaoui, who insisted that Morocco has already "resolved" the issue of its territorial unity and made the stance crystal clear. Alaoui also stressed that the whole gamut of Morocco's political organizations have plainly asserted that this is only an artificial conflict and urged Algeria to "start frank negotiations," since it is the main supporter of the Polisario secessionists.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan political party calls for ending siege on sequestered in Tindouf   (4/20/2004)
  Morocco, Algeria must embark on direct negotiations over Sahara dispute, Minister   (4/20/2004)
  Polisario established links with Algerian terrorist group GSPC and Afghan war veterans, politologist   (4/17/2004)

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