Sahara: Polisario Suffers Serious Setback in Africa-Japan Meeting

Japan has dealt a hard blow to the Polisario separatist group and their Algerian supporters who failed this weekend to impose the presence of the secessionists in the follow-up meeting of Africa-Japan summit held in Tokyo (Oct.5-7).

“Even if a group which claims itself as a State which Japan does not recognize was sitting in this room, this does ¨not mean that Japan in anyway implicitly or explicitly recognizes it as a State”, said on Saturday Japanese Foreign minister Taro Kono, referring to the Polisario intruders.

Mr. Kono’s statement comes following the withdrawal of the Moroccan delegation from the preparatory meeting of the Africa-Japan Summit, in protest to the presence of the separatists in the event.

“I would like to make it clear that it is not allowed to put any flag other than that of the African Union (AU) and Japan”, said the Japanese top diplomat, warning that “anybody who disrupts the order will be asked to leave” the summit.

The Algerian regime provides Polisario separatists with Algerian travel documents and logistics enabling them to sneak in international conferences and take the floor to undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity.

But the Moroccan diplomacy has, once again, foiled the Algerian plot and unveiled to the world the direct involvement of Algeria in the regional conflict of the Sahara.

The Tokyo incident comes as Morocco has confirmed its participation in the UN-sponsored round table on the Sahara issue due in Geneva in December.
At the end of September, UN envoy for the Sahara Horst Kohler sent invitations to Morocco, Algeria, Mauritania and the Polisario for the Geneva talks.