Antonio Guterres reaffirms Algeria’s role in Moroccan Sahara dispute
Hibapress
In his annual report to the Security Council on the Moroccan Sahara, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres recalled the press release from the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs of July 25, expressing his “deep disapproval” following the decision of the France in support of Morocco’s sovereignty over its Sahara, which the Algerian side described as “unexpected, inappropriate and counterproductive”.
The UN chief indicated that the Algerian ministry had also announced the withdrawal of its ambassador to France, in reaction to the French decision supporting Morocco’s autonomy plan in its southern provinces.
Mr. Guterres also underlined Algeria’s participation, like other stakeholders, in the bilateral consultations agreed by his Personal Envoy to the Moroccan Sahara, held between February and April 2024.
He highlighted the multiple visits of the Personal Envoy to Algiers and his meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Algerian officials, as a direct stakeholder in the dispute over the Moroccan Sahara.
The UN SG notes that the difficult context makes the resolution of this dispute more urgent than ever. To this end, he calls on Algeria to engage in good faith and with an open mind in the political process under the auspices of its Personal Envoy, with a view to achieving a political, realistic, pragmatic, lasting and compromise solution, in accordance with the practices established by Security Council resolutions since 2018, with the participation of the four stakeholders in the round tables.
Mr. Guterres also calls on Algeria to focus on common interests, to refrain from further aggravating the situation through rhetoric and continued unilateral actions, and to demonstrate political will for the resolution of this dispute which she put together from scratch.
Thus, the UN SG highlights the glaring paradoxes of Algeria which not only evades its historical responsibilities in this dispute, but also tries in vain to shelter behind a so-called “Observer” status. by reaffirming to the Personal Envoy for the Moroccan Sahara “his continued focus on finding a solution to this dispute”.
The UN chief also underlines the crucial role of neighboring states in resolving this regional dispute, as well as the importance of the strong political will and continued support of the international community in this direction.
Finally, the UN SG confronts Algeria with a difficult choice, that of embracing a constructive, peaceful approach respectful of the principle of good neighborliness and the peaceful settlement of disputes, or sinking into the fiasco of its Polisarian agenda.
