Sahara issue purely Moroccan, Canary front says

Secretary-General of the Front for the Liberation of the Canary Islands, Thomas Cantana, criticized "Spain's involvement" in the Sahara issue and stressed the issue is purely Moroccan.

Canatana told the London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi daily that his Front has denounced since 1987 Spain's involvement in the Sahara issue. "This is an interference in others internal affairs," he said.

The leader of the Front, which claims the African identity of the Canary Islands," was contacted by the daily following the publishing by his movement of a release strongly criticizing Madrid's position regarding the Sahara issue.

"Madrid's backing to the Polisario is an act aimed at perpetuating the conflict and bleeding Morocco economically and politically," he said.

"The Sahara issue is purely Moroccan and the Sahrawis are part of Morocco and the Arab Maghreb," Cantana said, adding "it is not possible to speak of colonialism (…) after Spain left the Sahara, the conflict remained among Moroccans: those calling for integration within Morocco and those adopting a separatist stand."