NAM-Sahara: Morocco exposes Algeria‘s attempts to mislead international community

Morocco has exposed Algeria’s brazen lies and craven attempts to mislead the international community by spreading false information on Western Sahara during the latest virtual ministerial meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) held July 13-14.

In a letter addressed to NAM presidency, Morocco’s permanent representative to UN Omar Hilale responded to the provocative and offensive remarks made by Algerian FM on the Sahara, saying his comments are irrelevant as the Sahara issue was not on NAM’s agenda, which is focusing on multilateral efforts to respond to global socioeconomic and health challenges generated by Covid-19 pandemic.

Regarding the so-called “resumption of military conflict” mentioned by the Algerian minister, the Moroccan diplomat said “this fiction exists only in Polisario’s propaganda and Algerian news agency. The situation in the Moroccan Sahara is “calm” as confirmed by Minurso daily reports and by international media, he said.

He went on to say that the Algerian FM’s remarks are “totally out of step with the reality on the ground in the Moroccan Sahara”, noting that the local Sahrawi inhabitants live in peace and serenity. They also participate actively in the socio-economic development of the Saharan region as well as in political life.

The Moroccan ambassador to the UN also recalled the American recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over its Sahara and the opening of 22 Consulates of NAM countries in the Saharan cities of Laayoune and Dakhla.

Responding to the Algerian Minister’s call for the appointment of a new UN envoy for the Sahara, Mr. Omar Hilale blamed Algeria and the Polisario for the delay in naming a new envoy as they have rejected several candidates proposed by the UN Secretary General to fill the vacant post since the resignation of German Horst Kohler in May 2019 for “health reasons”.

Algeria is and remains the main party to the Sahara conflict and is responsible for its persistence for more than four decades by arming, funding and sheltering the polisario separatist group, said the Moroccan ambassador, affirming that the Algerian anti-Moroccan propaganda fools nobody.