Former Algerian party leader: 'outbidding' over Sahara Issue aims at sowing hatred

The Sahara is Moroccan and what is happening currently is just "outbidding" over the issue to "sow hatred and animosity between two peoples," said Abbassi Madani, former Secretary General of the Algerian "Islamic Salvation Front" party (FIS - now dissolved).

Madani told the "Aujourd'hui le Maroc" daily that Ç History is unmerciful for those who have no memory," stressing his position on the Sahara is based on "History and common sense."

The former FIS official, who lives in voluntary exile in Qatar, said "I don't see how a meter of the Sahara can be renounced by the Kingdom of Morocco. I don't see how a meter of the Sahara can be cut away from the kingdom of Morocco."

He stressed he shall not and never accept any part of the Sahara be separated from Morocco, strongly denouncing those who "feed this artificial problem" and recalling that historical evidence resists the diktat of those sowing hatred and counters any attempt to falsification. The Sahara issue is a fake problem made up so that Morocco and Algeria be at loggerhead, stressing the two people long for detente while noting there are parties who would benefit by the protraction of the false problem. Madani sees that misleading Algerian public opinion with phoney principles ought to stop and allow the Algerian people say what it thinks about the issue "that is none of its business."