HIBAPRESS – Shafiq Anouri
A report by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the Moroccan Sahara, addressed to the Security Council, implicitly accuses Algeria of seeking to keep the conflict alive by confirming its disregard for Rabat's initiatives to resolve the issue.
Guterres, after highlighting the increasing international support for the autonomy initiative to resolve the conflict, affirmed that Algeria is an "actual party to the conflict," citing its reactions to the British sovereign decision to support the Moroccan position. The United Nations Secretary-General's report stopped at the speech delivered by King Mohammed VI on the occasion of the Throne Day on July 29th, which called for a "solution where there is no victor and no vanquished." The report explained in this context that Algeria met King Mohammed VI's expression of Morocco's readiness to engage in a "frank, responsible, fraternal, and sincere dialogue" with it, with "disregard." Guterres affirmed that neighboring countries, including Algeria, play a "pivotal role in resolving the Sahara issue, which would also enhance their security and development opportunities." The UN Secretary-General expressed his regret for "the absence of any tangible progress in Moroccan-Algerian relations," calling on both countries to "intensify their efforts to strengthen regional cooperation." What is striking in Guterres's new report is the mention of Algeria 17 times, a greater number than in previous years, and an emphasis on its main role in the continuation of the conflict. The report continued to review developments that prove that Algeria is a key party to the conflict and that it is seeking its continuation, by stating that "the El Mouradia Palace" which controls the Tindouf camps, speaks on behalf of the "Polisario" to the "MINURSO" mission.
