Polisario is doomed to disappear, former Polisario leader says

The Polisario that was set up at a time the world was divided in two blocs is doomed to disappear, said Brahim Hakim, a former leader of the Polisario.

Brahim Hakim, who defected several years ago from the Polisario, an Algeria-backed movement claiming the independence of the Moroccan Sahara, told the Senegalese governmental daily "Le Soleil" that the Polisario is doomed to disappear because its primary goal is outdated and the populations no longer believe in it.

Every time a person can escape the Polisario's grip, they do not miss the opportunity, he said.

He stated further that the creation of a tiny state in the Sahara is a nonsense and that the future and well-being of the Saharan populations lies in a united Morocco.

The Sahara, formerly under Spanish rule, was retrieved by Morocco in 1975 under the Madrid accords, but the territory's independence is claimed by the Polisario.

Brahim Hakim, who is now serving as a roving ambassador, mentioned several cases of Sahrawis who hold senior positions in Morocco such as governors, representatives or other.

The Senegalese daily -- which published in its Saturday issue a two-page survey on Morocco covering the changes underway in the kingdom and its democratization experience -- commented that like many Sahrawis who went astray and who humbly recognized their mistake and returned home, Brahim Hakim pins great hope on the future, i.e. on the development of the Sahara within a strong, united and prosperous Morocco.

The daily quoted Brahim Hakim as saying he came back to his motherland out of conviction and to uphold the country's stability and unity.