For Algeria, Saharara question is linked to geo-strategic card to weaken Morocco, university professor

The Sahara issue has served as a geo-strategic card for Algeria to weaken Morocco, a leading Moroccan international expert said.

According to an Algerian analysis, the recovery by Morocco of its Sahara would enable the Kingdom to expand territorially and economically, hence, reinforcing its "hegemony" in the region, Lahcen Boukentar, professor of international relations at the Mohammed V university in Rabat said.

Boukentar, who was interviewed by "Assabah" daily (Independent), said he is pessimistic as to a possible change in Algeria's position "because the officials in the Algerian diplomacy have firm positions on the question of the Moroccan Sahara."

"If we really aspire to a change in Algerian positions, it will only be possible with fundamental geo-strategic changes in the region," he went on.

He added that it is difficult to alter Algeria's position given the situation that prevails in the country. "We know that political balance in the current situation are fragile in Algeria" and "there is no institution in Algeria capable of taking courageous decisions or cancel previous decisions," he said.

Boukentar recalled that Algeria, which helped in the creation of the Polisario secessionist group, believes that "the turn events are taking will give it a chance and that the question of self-determination has a legal platform."

The United Nations Security Council recently adopted resolution 1495, whereby the council continues to support the efforts of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and his Personal Envoy, James Baker, on the basis of agreements between the two concerned parties.