Polisario separatists persist in identification operation sabotage, Benaissa

The Polisario separatists persist in directing the identification operation towards the objectives sought by the enemies of Morocco's territorial integrity, Moroccan foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa said.

Benaissa told the Voice of America (VOA) he regrets the behavior of the Polisario members, who are breaching the law and sowing obstacles to hinder the United Nations settlement plan.

The plan seeks to settle the Sahara issue through a self-determination referendum to determine whether the Sahara --a former Spanish colony retrieved by Morocco under the Madrid Accords-sets up on its own, as claimed by the Algeria-backed Polisario, or remains part of the homeland, Morocco.

The vote has been delayed by the Polisario, which fearing a Moroccan victory, tries to shrink the voters lists, denying thousands of genuine Sahrawis their right to participate in the referendum.

Benaissa underlined that the various obstacles sown by the Polisario pushed Morocco to express reservations regarding the identification process. He specified that 130,000 Sahrawis introduced appeals.

Morocco, which proposed the holding of the referendum, spared no effort to contribute to the success of the plan, Benaissa said.