Jeune Aftrique: Sahara: Minister deems 'democratic solution' autonomy under Moroccan sovereignty

The concept of autonomy under the Moroccan sovereignty and its territorial integrity is a "democratic solution (to the Moroccan Sahara conflict) in conformity with the international legality," said Morocco's Minister-Delegate of Foreign Affairs, Taib Fassi Fihri.

In an interview with the Paris-based French-speaking weekly, "Jeune Aftrique/L'intelligent," published Monday, Fihri recalled that the parties concerned with the Sahara dispute, which opposes Morocco to the Algeria-backed "Polisario" separatists, advocate a negotiated deal and a political solution to the conflict, since the UN ruled out the 1991 referendum solution as inapplicable.

Touching on the deteriorating Morocco-Algerian relations, the Minister recalled that during King Mohammed VI's visit late March to Algiers to participate in the Arab Summit March, the monarch and Algeria's president, Abdelaziz Bouteflika, agreed on a comprehensive strategy, which consists in "normalizing bilateral relations, and reviving the Maghreb Arab Union, UMA (Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia), while entrusting the UN to find a solution to the Sahara conflict."

"Unfortunately, the minister deplored, upon the end of HM the King's visit, the Algerian highest authorities multiplied less-friendly declarations against us," which caused, above all, the postponement of the UMA summit, initially scheduled for May 25-26 in Tripoli, Libya.

As to bilateral relations with the eastern neighbor, Fihri confirmed that "the will to go forward and to solve problems is still unspotted," noting that "we can even talk about a strategic option."