The President of Algeria, Abdelmayid Tebune, has affirmed that Spain’s position towards Western Sahara is an »individual» position of the Government of Pedro Sanchez and has underlined that the relationship with Morocco has reached »a point of no return».
»We consider Spain’s position towards Western Sahara as an individual and biased position of the Government of Sanchez», he has indicated in an interview granted to the Qatari television channel Al Jazira in which he has affirmed that these »secret actions do not exempt his responsibilities».
Thus, he asserted that the Spanish government »has forgotten that it is the former colonial power in Western Sahara and that its responsibility still exists», while regretting that relations with Morocco »have reached this level».
Sanchez sent in March 2022 a letter to the King of Morocco, Mohamed VI, in which he argued that Rabat’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara, which leaves this territory under Moroccan sovereignty although with some competences ceded, constitutes »the most serious and realistic basis» to achieve a solution to this conflict.
Madrid’s position was applauded by the Moroccan government and its Foreign Minister, Naser Burita, recently affirmed that the solution to the conflict »can only be conceived within the framework of the United Nations and on the basis of the Moroccan autonomy plan». However, Spain’s change of position triggered harsh criticism from the Polisario Front, which maintains that this path »does not benefit peace and stability» in the region.
The former Spanish colony was occupied despite the resistance of the Polisario Front, with whom it was at war until 1991, when both parties signed a cease-fire with a view to holding a referendum on self-determination, but differences over the elaboration of the census and the inclusion or not of the Moroccan settlers have so far prevented its convocation.
The Polisario Front declared the cease-fire with Morocco broken in September 2020 in response to a Moroccan military action against Saharawi activists in Guerguerat, in the zone of détente agreed near the border with Mauritania, which was for the Saharawis a violation of the terms of the agreement in force since 1991.
RETURN OF THE ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR TO FRANCE Tebune was also critical of France following the latest tensions and described the relationship with Paris as «fluctuating», but confirmed that the Algerian Ambassador will return «soon» to the French capital.
Algeria recalled its ambassador for consultations in February after »strongly protesting» against the »clandestine and illegal exfiltration» by Paris of Algerian opponent Amira Buraoui, who was in Tunis.
The activist, sentenced to two years in prison in May 2021 for »attack on the person of the President of the Republic», among other charges was arrested in Tunis on February 3 as she was preparing to travel to France after crossing the Algeria-Tunisia border clandestinely. However, she was transferred to the French Embassy, after which she finally traveled to Lyon.
Bilateral tensions surfaced again less than two months after French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the return »to a normal consular relationship» with Algeria after more than a year with France’s issuance of visas halved, straining relations between Paris and Algiers.
On the other hand, the Algerian president has extolled the »strategic, historical and very solid» relations with Italy and explained that the agreement recently signed with Rome »includes electricity, gas and hydrogen». »We hope to implement it in cooperation with Europe,» he said.
Tebune also defended that Algiers could play the role of »mediator» in the war in Ukraine, given that »it is one of the few countries that has enough credibility» to do so, while confirming that he will visit Russia in May to meet with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
