Asharq paper: any attempt to undermine Morocco's integrity will destabilize North Africa
Qatar-Morocco, Politics, 12/22/2004

Any attempt to separate a part of the Moroccan territory will lead to the destabilization of North Africa and will undermine peace and stability in the region, wrote the Qatari newspaper "Asharq."

"Algeria has shown clear resolve to create a new entity in the Arab Maghreb region under the name of the 'Sahrawi republic'," noted the paper in a recent edition, referring to the "SADR" republic, that was self-proclaimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario separatists who claim the separation of Morocco's southern provinces (known as the Sahara) from the rest of the country.

Algeria, the paper went on, has made contacts with several African, European, Latin American and Asian countries so as to "convince them to recognize this entity that only exists in papers scattered in Tindouf and Lahmada camps (Algeria)."

The paper, which highlighted the "cultural, religious, linguistic and historical links" binding the Moroccan and Algerian peoples, pointed out that "political actors and civil society organizations have always showed concern (É) concerning the artificial entities."

The Qatari paper wondered if it possible to "build union and concord on the basis of division and in a climate of discord and friction," alluding to the Arab Maghreb project (UMA- mustering Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia) that was hampered mainly because of Algeria's involvement in the Sahara dispute and its logical and military assistance to the Polisario separatists.

"Asharq" noted, nevertheless, that people of the Maghreb can still foil any desire to sow division, and can build a future that does not contain any source of conflicts.

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