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Algiers, 05/02/2007 (SPS) The Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Mohamed Salem Ould Salek, affirmed on Monday during a pres
conference held in the Embassy of the Saharawi Arab Democratic
Republic in Algiers, that the Moroccan "unilateral and void"
autonomy plan for the Western Sahara is "a volt-face that threatens
the stability of the region", stressing that any solution "that does
not respect the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination and
independence is unacceptable and irrational".
"By unilaterally proposing its autonomy plan for the Western Sahara,
Morocco entered a very serious stage", which can push the entire
region to instability, Mr. Ould Salek declared, estimating that only
"the exercise by the Saharawi people of their inalienable right to
self-determination can resolve the conflict of the Western Sahara".
The Moroccan autonomy project "is an unilateral and void act, he
underlined, because nor the UN General Assembly, nor the Security
Council nor the Secretary General have asked Morocco, or Polisario
Front either, to present new propositions, because the solution
already exist, mainly the initial Settlement Plan of 1991 and the
Baker Plan. The UN and the international community ask the two
parties to the conflict, especially Morocco, to implement the UN’s
decisions and resolutions", calling to the decolonisation of the
last colony in Africa, he explained.
The Saharawi Minister qualified the Moroccan proposition as a
provocation to the Saharawi people in addition to the fact that it
is a violation to the international legality, because "the Saharawi
people was waiting from Morocco to put an end to its expansionist
and repressive policy, and to respect the right of the two brother
peoples, Saharawi and Moroccan, to live in peace", accusing the
regime of Rabat of been intransigent and irresponsible because it
persists in putting obstacles to the establishment of a lasting and
just peace in the Western Sahara.
"There is no possibility of having a peaceful political solution to
the Saharawi question without enabling the Saharawi people to
exercise their right to self-determination. We are in favour of the
international legality and in favour of the implementation of the
decisions and resolutions of the international community", he
underlined, affirming that the Polisario Front "did not and will
never renounce the legitimate rights of the Saharawi people to
self-determination and independence".
To the Head of the Saharawi diplomacy "this new Moroccan delaying
manoeuvre only aims to waste time to the peoples of the region and
is in fact addressed to the Moroccan public opinion, because since
1975 the Saharawi question was the tool used by the Moroccan feudal
regime to divert the attention of its public opinion each time it
faced internal problems".
The Saharawi diplomat also launched an appeal to the UN Secretary
General, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, and to the Security Council to be more
active "and pt pressures on Morocco, once and for all, so as to
compel it honour its engagements towards the international community
before the situation worsen", recalling the Moroccan human rights
violations in the occupied territories of the Western Sahara.
"We call on the international community to put pressures on Morocco
so as to avoid more tension in the region and to avert the danger of
war. We are paying all efforts to avoid the war and we will
cooperate with the UN for a peaceful solution to the conflict, but
if the international organisation fails to impose the respect of the
international law, none can ask the Saharawis to stay cross-handed
nor stop them from defending their rights with all the legitimate
means in their possession", he affirmed.
In this respect, he recalled that "resuming war is a very strong
national claim in the occupied territories as well as in the refugee
camps, because the Saharawi citizens are suffering under the
Moroccan occupation as well as because of the difficult conditions
of exile" while the international community ask them for more
concessions and sacrifices instead of been active in imposing the
respect of the international legality via imposing the finishing the
process of decolonisation of the Western Sahara through a free and
transparent self-determination referendum that will give it back its
legitimate rights, the Saharawi minister regretted.
Answering a question concerning the negative role of France in the
conflict, Mr. Ould Salek deplored the fact that instead of playing
its natural role as an influent international force an convincing
the Moroccan regime to conform to the international legality, "Paris
unfortunately supports Rabat in its intransigent position". Worst,
it incites it to continue its expansionist and colonial policy in
the Western Sahara.
It is sad, Mr. Salek regretted, that "the France of Jacques Chirac
had completely supported to the position of the Moroccan aggressor",
expressing his desire that the next President of France "understands
that the stability of the Great Maghreb passes through the exercise
by the Saharawi people of their right to self-determination", which
is the only guarantee for peace and security in the region.
(SPS)
060/090/000/TRD 051516 Feb 06 SPS
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