Morocco's Islamist party points accusing finger to Algeria over Sahara
"Attajdid," daily of Morocco's recognized Islamist party of Justice and Development (PJD, 42 seats at the country's House of Representatives) editorially commented Wednesday the latest evolution of the Sahara issue, holding Algeria responsible for the artificial conflict over the Moroccan southern provinces.
Algeria is the unique party accountable for the crisis resulting from this artificial dispute, said Attajdid, underlining that based on that fact, Algeria must be the party to engage dialogue with to settle that dispute.
The paper slammed Algiers for exhausting the peoples of the region and thwarting their aspirations to the construction of the Arab Maghreb since it engaged in a conflict with Morocco over the Sahara by using the Polisario and taking advantage of the paradoxes that marked the international juncture of the cold war to play the role of leader of the third world.
"Attajdid" said it is crucial to adopt a firm stand vis-?-vis Algeria "Morocco's major foe and main obstacle to the strategic interests in the Maghreb."
According to the paper, this is achievable through the opening of negotiation on the liberation of Moroccan prisoners of war, the dissolution of SADR (the so-called Sahrawi Republic, self-proclaimed by the Polisario, a gang hosted and backed by Algeria and that claims sovereignty over Morocco's southern provinces) and the return of the populations sequestered in Tindouf camps (southwestern Algeria) to their homeland.
"Al Bayane," daily of the Party for Progress and Socialism (PPS, in government) said Morocco should review its strategy as regards relations with various actors in the international scene to impose respect of its rights.
Commenting on the United States position in the debate in the Security Council over the Sahara, the paper said the "Bush Administration is known for being fond of the oil industry and hence builds its relations with a view to consolidating its domination over world energy resources, which explains its natural inclination toward Algeria."
The paper believes that Morocco should use all assets to preserve its interests and impose itself as a regional power, source of stability and pole of progress and development.
In the same connection, "Rissalat Al Oumma" daily of the Constitutional Union (UC, opposition) criticized Spain's position over the Sahara question, terming it as a "double standard game" that aims to pressure Morocco to adopt options that the enemies of its territorial integrity want to impose on it.
The newspaper deplored that Spain's latest position may foil last months' efforts to consolidate bilateral cooperation and reinforce partnership with Morocco.
