Irish FM spurns Polisario lobbyists, promises closer ties with Morocco

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney gave the cold shoulder to a Polisario lobbyist and reiterated Ireland’s position in favor of a political solution to the Sahara regional conflict under the umbrella of the UN.

As Ireland prepares to open an embassy in Rabat, Coveney told MPS at the question time that his country “supports the UN process and the efforts of the UN Secretary General for a lasting political solution,” in the Sahara.

He made it clear that Ireland remains neutral on the Sahara issue. “I met the Kingdom’s Ambassador in July 2019 accompanied by Lower House Speaker Habib El Malki during their visit to Dublin. During that meeting we had fruitful talks on a series of political, trade and economic issues and we also raised human rights,” he said.

“I am looking forward to deepening our bilateral commitments and dialogue with Morocco with the upcoming opening of an Irish embassy in Rabat,” he said.

A story by Algeria’s news agency APS, which has been rebuked by the UN Human Rights Commissioner recently for fabricating stories, omitted to cite the Irish support for the UN process in the Sahara and as usual misquoted the Irish official in a way that matches the wishful thinking and endemic hostility to Morocco by the military regime.

Moroccan diplomacy has also insisted that Algeria, the mentor of the Polisario separatist, is a party to the over four-decade conflict as it continues to arm, fund and back diplomatically the Polisario while blocking any progress towards a consensual solution on the basis of the autonomy initiative.