Moroccan delegates call for reactivting Maghreban union

Delegations representing several Moroccan political parties at an international symposium here, have called for the reactivation of the Arab Maghreb Union (UMA), confined to a state of paralysis since 1994.

The Moroccan delegates representing the Istiqlal party, the National Democrat Party, the Constitutional Union, the National Rally of Independents and the Popular Movement underlined that the situation in the world no longer allows for the setting up of small entities.

The Moroccan delegates were referring to the claims of the Algerian-backed guerilla movement, the Polisario, to set up an "independent state" in the Moroccan southern provinces that were formerly under Spanish rule and that were retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords.

The UMA, set up in Marrakesh in 1989, includes Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.

The union's activities have been frozen due to strained relations between Morocco and Algeria over Algiers' direct involvement in the Sahara issue and due to Libya's criticism of the attitude adopted by the other UMA members in the Lockerbie crisis opposing Tripoli to Western countries.

The representatives of the Moroccan political parties, including the Secretary general of the istiqlal party, Abbas el-Fassi, said Algeria should let the Sahara issue follow its course, as the dossier is being handled by the United Nations.

The delegates also called for extending assistance to the Algerian people to help it overcome its problems and voiced backing to the Libyan people, which is under an air and military embargo decreed by the U.N. in 1992 for an alleged Libyan involvement in the bombing of a U.S. plane over the scottish village of lockerbie.

The symposium, held on the topic "the challenges of the 21st century," was sponsored by the Tunisian ruling party "the Democratic Constitutional Rally."

Meanwhile in other developments, King Hassan II and Tunisian President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali held Wednesday a phone conversation on bilateral relations and topical issues of common concern, Tunisian News Agency TAP reported Thursday.

TAP said the talks were held within the frame of the permanent consultation between the two countries, member of the Arab Maghreb Union "UMA" mustering also Algeria, Libya and Mauritania.