Algeria obsessed with protracting Sahara Dispute, media
Algeria-Morocco, Politics, 10/5/2004

The Moroccan press stressed on Monday that Algeria seeks to protract the Sahara issue, thus making of the non settlement of this fake conflict "a geographical obsession."

"La Gazette du Maroc" said the internal political stake and regional instability has always been prominent in the choices of Algeria, adding the prolongation of the Sahara conflict is a profitable geographical obsession for Algeria.

On the Moroccan memorandum conveyed nine days ago to the UNO, the weekly said the document condemns Algeria, its policy and "its immoral sense" that despises the dignity of the "hostages" kept in the Tindouf camps (run in Southern Algeria by the separatist movement of the Polisario claiming the separation of the Moroccan Southern provinces).

The weekly, in another report, said the Moroccan diplomacy can take advantage of the Algerian disproportional involvement in the Sahara issue to reach a balanced solution to the dispute.

"Le Matin du Sahara et du Maghreb" daily said in the wake of the presentation of the memorandum "scathing chain responses have multiplied in Algeria" as if reminding of Morocco's position "has been unveiled for the first time."

The daily noted the Sahara issue has been not only distorted with respect to its legal and political aspects, but it has been used as a front to the ideological vision of Algerian leaders who have been changing their stance to mislead the international community.

"Al-Mounaataf" daily said there are two explanations to the Algerian escalation against Morocco: a spirit of hegemony that goes back to the cold war and the profits Algeria made from its oil sales following the commodity price hikes.

The escalation comes at a time when "new international initiatives are unfolding to ease the tension in the North African region and reach a solution to the artificial conflict between Algeria and Morocco, after it was understood that the Sahara issue is a conflict opposing the two neighbour countries."

"Aujourd'hui le Maroc" weekly cast light on the direct involvement of the Polisario in human trafficking following the nabbing in Mauritania last week of about a hundred illegal immigrants on board of Polisario vehicles trying to sneak into Morocco.

The newspaper notes that Polisario, that smuggles arms and explosives, is now dealing in human trafficking and has turned the region into an area of arms trafficking and a refuge for terrorists that are helped in their movements by the presence on the Algerian territory of 10.000 armed fighters of the Polisario.

Previous Stories:
  Moroccan press raises questions over Algeria's armament race   (10/2/2004)
  Former Polisario member deplores Algiers' obstinacy in Sahara issue   (10/2/2004)
  Sahrawi NGO: Algeria is party in Sahara conflict   (10/1/2004)

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